tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-81559722988527036102017-12-14T00:57:36.098+11:00Miss TasminAraina Tasminnoreply@blogger.comBlogger45125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8155972298852703610.post-79039035249440146192017-12-02T17:55:00.000+11:002017-12-02T17:55:09.438+11:00WHAT CAN I SAY, I'M A GEMINI<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QWUPRi-KprA/WiI6LsWqTZI/AAAAAAAAEro/8cibkQ525UAd2qp1j31-Ns9lfK64MK59ACLcBGAs/s1600/DSC_0291%2Bgrain.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QWUPRi-KprA/WiI6LsWqTZI/AAAAAAAAEro/8cibkQ525UAd2qp1j31-Ns9lfK64MK59ACLcBGAs/s1600/DSC_0291%2Bgrain.jpg" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hMsEfYClP54/WiI6kOf682I/AAAAAAAAErw/-x10Acm3nV4gfFWxBOsBCZlEU5sbE44ZwCLcBGAs/s1600/DSC_0292%2Bgrain%2Bbw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hMsEfYClP54/WiI6kOf682I/AAAAAAAAErw/-x10Acm3nV4gfFWxBOsBCZlEU5sbE44ZwCLcBGAs/s1600/DSC_0292%2Bgrain%2Bbw.jpg" /></span></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">i've been staring at a blank notebook all day trying to come up with ideas for blog posts. actually, i've been staring at that blank page for months now. writing and creating posts on here has always brought me the most joy and satisfaction, but lately when i've sat down to try and write there's just been a mental brick wall. while staring at that blank page today i realised that the truth of the situation is that i just haven't really known what i want to say on this platform anymore.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">while i've always loved writing and photography, this blog started as solely a fashion blog. i would beg my mum to take photos of me in whatever new outfit i'd bought. i'd always had a love for clothes, but turns out most of the time i actually hated being in front of a camera. i struggled with the way i looked and always wanted the creative control behind taking the images, rather than just posing in front.&nbsp;i also soon became insecure about posting these photos. i think partially due to fear of judgement from my peers at the time, but also those posts brought forth somewhat a sense of identity confusion. i saw loving clothes and posting all these photos of myself as vain and shallow and somewhat contradictory to the 'deep' and intellectual side i also have always had. i do now see my love for clothes as just another form of creative expression, with the colours and textures and shapes of clothing telling a story just like a piece of artwork. so&nbsp;while to this day there is that part of me that still really loves fashion, doing outfit posts of myself limits me creatively almost completely.&nbsp;which i guess is then where all this 'other stuff' started popping up.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">if you've followed me for a while you'd know that i've posted travel photography and recipes and hippie bullshit and poetry and rants on a real range of different topics. since the solely fashion related post days, my blog has become a mismatch and jumble of different themes. i've never seen a problem with this or gave it a second thought really, up until recently. throughout the design course i've been doing this year the fact that i have a blog has slipped a few times, and understandably each time i'm met with a "what type of blog do you have?". and in response each time i stumble out a "uh its a mix of everything i guess", which is then met with a "you know if you focused on one thing you'd be more successful". i guess the fact that this exact conversation has happened a number of times started getting to me. i have all these elements to my personality and different things i like and i've been unsure of&nbsp;how to present those here, or which ones i want to focus on.&nbsp;i love clothes and spirituality and veganism and the idea of saving the world and poetry and photography and&nbsp;i guess i've just realised that i can post about all those things. screw people telling me i need to focus on one thing for my blog to be successful. i never started this blog to "be successful". i'm not going to limit myself or my blog to a label - this isn't a 'fashion blog' or a 'health blog' or a 'lifestyle blog', this has always and will only ever be an 'araina blog'. i'm not going to squeeze this creative platform into any kind of box.&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">i guess this struggle to define and categorise my blog has been mirroring my inner thoughts of myself and my personality lately too. i've always had that real mix of loving 'material' things as well as exploring 'deeper' spiritual elements. recently i've been struggling with the balance between the two and trying to work out where exactly i want to sit on the scale of those things. i think my answer to that question will always fluctuate, and that's totally fine. right now i'm okay with spending one friday night reading tarot cards and journalling for hours and the next drinking and partying all night, or, getting eyelash extensions and going to a sound healing bath the same day. i don't need to fit myself into a perfect mold of a "spiritual person" or whatever to still enjoy elements of that nature.&nbsp;just like my blog, i'm realising that&nbsp;i don't need to be easily definable or digestible.&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">my personality and the things i post on this blog will continue to be a jumble i'm forever working out. i think i will always be a walking set of contradictions. what can i say, i'm a freaking double gemini after all.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6zNGDjsB6aI/WiI3t98WlHI/AAAAAAAAErU/t0ToeVO-DVQU3jho1Bra5jMOCnQAAuYsQCLcBGAs/s1600/A%2Bxx.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="85" data-original-width="172" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6zNGDjsB6aI/WiI3t98WlHI/AAAAAAAAErU/t0ToeVO-DVQU3jho1Bra5jMOCnQAAuYsQCLcBGAs/s1600/A%2Bxx.jpg" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: Times, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><br /></span>Araina Tasminhttps://plus.google.com/110751639591295983392noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8155972298852703610.post-56394753862812448972017-11-06T18:22:00.002+11:002017-12-01T12:32:56.214+11:00SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER DIARY<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-A-S1L45SPxs/Wf-WQ63PJ8I/AAAAAAAAElY/U-xB_vf93cEs1b-J4eU74RZo-_LO9ZVuACEwYBhgL/s1600/IMG_3801.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1580" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-A-S1L45SPxs/Wf-WQ63PJ8I/AAAAAAAAElY/U-xB_vf93cEs1b-J4eU74RZo-_LO9ZVuACEwYBhgL/s1600/IMG_3801.JPG" /></a><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wLtu4CmnDzQ/Wf-Wa5SlmYI/AAAAAAAAElY/0KX4I3i5Ausw65r7McY3VQ994jnAwF3CACEwYBhgL/s1600/Untitled-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1047" data-original-width="1600" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wLtu4CmnDzQ/Wf-Wa5SlmYI/AAAAAAAAElY/0KX4I3i5Ausw65r7McY3VQ994jnAwF3CACEwYBhgL/s1600/Untitled-1.jpg" /></a><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fITnA-RCEk0/Wf-dvFjauLI/AAAAAAAAEmM/DpsWahBtnZ0KuuQRZ2n2OnD5E5wKRCNFQCLcBGAs/s1600/Untitled-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="782" data-original-width="1600" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fITnA-RCEk0/Wf-dvFjauLI/AAAAAAAAEmM/DpsWahBtnZ0KuuQRZ2n2OnD5E5wKRCNFQCLcBGAs/s1600/Untitled-3.jpg" /></a><a 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href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cBQmAA9cT0c/Wf_tmnYRviI/AAAAAAAAEmo/wGcDGBgW7gYgAGoUR8p7FeSSuJKsD-WPgCLcBGAs/s1600/Untitled-14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1047" data-original-width="1600" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cBQmAA9cT0c/Wf_tmnYRviI/AAAAAAAAEmo/wGcDGBgW7gYgAGoUR8p7FeSSuJKsD-WPgCLcBGAs/s1600/Untitled-14.jpg" /></a><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-IQYb4ELodvw/Wf_7O6oPS1I/AAAAAAAAEnk/YBZwUV5QPY0BEKP0slNpvP9lvTx4nOoCQCLcBGAs/s1600/Untitled-15%2Bcopy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1050" data-original-width="1600" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-IQYb4ELodvw/Wf_7O6oPS1I/AAAAAAAAEnk/YBZwUV5QPY0BEKP0slNpvP9lvTx4nOoCQCLcBGAs/s1600/Untitled-15%2Bcopy.jpg" /></a><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-577eIroDh0U/Wf_728JFyGI/AAAAAAAAEnw/hA2Bq2JSXq482p1h6Y0vweC_bVxKYko5wCLcBGAs/s1600/Untitled-16%2Bcopy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1070" data-original-width="1600" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-577eIroDh0U/Wf_728JFyGI/AAAAAAAAEnw/hA2Bq2JSXq482p1h6Y0vweC_bVxKYko5wCLcBGAs/s1600/Untitled-16%2Bcopy.jpg" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">well hello - i’m back with a new blog design and hopefully a new sense of inspiration and post regularity! as it’s been a minute or two i thought i’d do just a little update post recapping the last couple of months in my world.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">september and october were both very tough and very beautiful.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">i spent these two months hugging trees, falling in love with the smell of jasmine, buying a new car, snowboarding, drinking coffee again, kissing and crying. my days were filled with spring blooms, live music, meals cooked with love, heartbreak, old friends and new connections, sunshine on bare skin, solo dance parties, social media breaks, spontaneous hair dyeing, picnics of mangoes and watermelon, poetry books, gratitude journals, a million cups of chamomile tea, and so much laughter.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">loverboy and i ended things for good which simultaneously hurt a whole lot and also felt really good. since first breaking up we’d dragged things on for eight months of back and forth which was partially torture, but he was my best friend and first love and it took a lot to walk away from that. when you’ve been head over heels for someone for two years it’s hard to let go of that part of your life. however, after the initial aching, it brought a real sense of freedom and relief that my energy no longer had to be spent on that situation. i’m so proud of myself for walking away from a situation that no longer serves me. it’s okay to outgrow what no longer works. it’s also okay to have growing pains from that.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">in search of some temporary peace, i fell in love with taking long walks. having my sun, moon and rising signs all air signs makes me feel pretty airheaded and ungrounded a lot of the time, and getting back into my body can really help with that. getting out into nature and breathing in fresh air and that good ass prana does wonders to most situations. i also really tried to incorporate movement into my day. whether it be going for a long walk or doing yoga, i’ve recently found the power of exercise for moving stuck energy around the body so it flows freely. doing yoga flows to music became my new obsession this month. so dang good for the body and soul. leading on from that also sprung my newfound tendency to break out in solo dance parties.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">september and october taught me the importance of connection. within those months i lost both my best friends from the past year or two. while these were both through my own doing and to better align the people closest to me with my highest self, initially it still left me feeling pretty lonely. don’t get me wrong, i completely love spending time alone and being the introvert i am it’s so essential to my wellbeing, but i do also of course crave that connection and love. i’m pretty sensitive to everything and do need a lot of my own introspective space, but i do think a lot of the time i perhaps place too much value on that and don’t fully realise or forget how much i do love spending time with the right people. connection is at the centre of life after all. i really reconnected with my old best friend, sinead (present in a lot of the above photos) which i couldn’t be happier about, and made a lot of sweet new friends this month.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">i realised that sometimes self-love means yoga classes and face masks and crystals, and sometimes it means letting yourself cry in your car and going on long sweaty runs and telling people they’ve hurt you or admitting you’ve hurt them. self-care isn’t always fun and beautiful, sometimes it’s just difficult and painful. i drank alcohol a few times after i think not touching it for over six months. i guess i’d been so focused on healing and trying to look after myself and didn’t feel as though getting drunk aligned with that. i think focusing on healing and self-care by looking after yourself and journaling, etc etc, is obviously so incredibly important but i forget that sometimes just letting go of everything for a while and having a dance all night is just as important and beneficial for your soul.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">similarly, i was taught lessons of balance in other ways too. especially that the dark/negative is just as, if not more important than the light/positive, because it’s in that darkness that we really grow. in the past few months i’ve felt a lot of shit coming up that i have to work on – the shadow work. it’s understandably difficult to want to sit with icky feelings but i’ve been trying to do just that, because there is no use attempting to ignore or supress them. you’ve just gotta feel through them, so they don’t become stuck in your mind and body. as always, writing through stuff has been my number one tool, but this past month i also tried talking through things with people more. touching back in with that deeper connection i guess.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">i also worked on learning lessons of surrendering, patience and trusting my intuition. when i get stressed about things i’ve been trying to remember that i’m divinely taken care of and that the universe always has my back. just surrendering is so important because it’s when we try to force things or ignore our intuition that things start getting messy, as they aren’t aligned with that greater picture. because i’m literally the most indecisive person in the world (again, triple air signs), i struggle to distinguish between intuitive gut feelings. i think your sense/trust of that intuition develops the more you do tap in and actually learn to listen to it though. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">as well as listening to my intuition, i’ve been trying to listen to my body in other ways too, especially with what i should be fuelling it with. i have been struggling a bit with filling it with quite a bit of (vegan) junk which leaves me feeling pretty gross. trying to pay attention to things that feel as though they're lowering my vibrational level. i do feel like i’ve been slightly battling this urge to be spontaneous and careless and maybe even verging on self-destructive. i guess when i’m feeling kind of off for some reason or another that tends to be one potential mindset i tap into. honouring that i am still a teenager so some of that is understandable, but trying not to sink into it too much because ultimately that isn’t aligned with how i want to be or live. i listened to a podcast the other day that gave the best wisdom: before making any decision, ask yourself if it’s what your highest self would want or do. if you were a perfect being of love. what would you take in and put out. what would you put in your body, what choices and actions would you take, etc. i love that. it’s such a simple yet profound way to live.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">i was about to apologise for this rambling mess, but for one, you guys should be more than used to that by now and two, this is my own little corner of the internet and i don’t have to apologise for anything in this space. maybe november will bring less apologies and more thank yous. thank you for reading this. i really enjoyed putting together this post. i feel like aiming to do one of these monthly or every few months would help me pick up my camera more every day. i really do love documenting moments and having both photos and words to look back on. let me know if you guys enjoy posts like this at all in the comments below.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Jvhryxgkhgk/WgJMCBvUCdI/AAAAAAAAEoY/sINYBDhu02IIc8FDCj1AszvYdr9x_qJgQCLcBGAs/s1600/A%2Bxx.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="85" data-original-width="172" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Jvhryxgkhgk/WgJMCBvUCdI/AAAAAAAAEoY/sINYBDhu02IIc8FDCj1AszvYdr9x_qJgQCLcBGAs/s1600/A%2Bxx.jpg" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div></div><br />Araina Tasminhttps://plus.google.com/110751639591295983392noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8155972298852703610.post-73049946597035436222017-09-05T11:39:00.004+10:002017-12-01T12:35:48.116+11:00SUN-DRENCHED<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PQWftnygF0U/WYudbwW8StI/AAAAAAAAEcw/7sjjvFs83T03mSonpbVMyguOwyURNn-xwCLcBGAs/s1600/DSC_9562.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: &quot;times&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PQWftnygF0U/WYudbwW8StI/AAAAAAAAEcw/7sjjvFs83T03mSonpbVMyguOwyURNn-xwCLcBGAs/s1600/DSC_9562.jpg" /></span></a><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Qm3xUkEHui4/WYueA4BbyoI/AAAAAAAAEdE/ICZn62C3hjk3McZ3v3A4U7eye7IcAAZXwCLcBGAs/s1600/Untitled-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: &quot;times&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Qm3xUkEHui4/WYueA4BbyoI/AAAAAAAAEdE/ICZn62C3hjk3McZ3v3A4U7eye7IcAAZXwCLcBGAs/s1600/Untitled-2.jpg" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-n3Sac37BozE/WYud9xNe7iI/AAAAAAAAEdA/vDBPHvNLcck-4JiwOf2mYjsmNtCvXMTgwCLcBGAs/s1600/Untitled-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: &quot;times&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-n3Sac37BozE/WYud9xNe7iI/AAAAAAAAEdA/vDBPHvNLcck-4JiwOf2mYjsmNtCvXMTgwCLcBGAs/s1600/Untitled-1.jpg" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-g__eZJK91lI/WYueN34y84I/AAAAAAAAEdI/b0fcEFFCP944QSynPaqczXJgVTflcGgEwCLcBGAs/s1600/Untitled-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: &quot;times&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-g__eZJK91lI/WYueN34y84I/AAAAAAAAEdI/b0fcEFFCP944QSynPaqczXJgVTflcGgEwCLcBGAs/s1600/Untitled-3.jpg" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tjNZJm0-_jE/WYuduEZZG5I/AAAAAAAAEc4/vqrJn2GlCAY7HDM967d8tsZuchES1-a2wCLcBGAs/s1600/DSC_9612.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: &quot;times&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tjNZJm0-_jE/WYuduEZZG5I/AAAAAAAAEc4/vqrJn2GlCAY7HDM967d8tsZuchES1-a2wCLcBGAs/s1600/DSC_9612.jpg" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_31hoHkLUp8/WYuedCK_JaI/AAAAAAAAEdQ/iNr72p9SLtEzF510v6i-LvSQu4N8lA8RACLcBGAs/s1600/Untitled-5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: &quot;times&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1190" data-original-width="1600" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_31hoHkLUp8/WYuedCK_JaI/AAAAAAAAEdQ/iNr72p9SLtEzF510v6i-LvSQu4N8lA8RACLcBGAs/s1600/Untitled-5.jpg" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FJ-f9omBtrw/WYudhZr26BI/AAAAAAAAEc0/suZ4u-__9_gCDo2dHj36Ee5_WqtVx3QkgCLcBGAs/s1600/DSC_9571.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: &quot;times&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1311" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FJ-f9omBtrw/WYudhZr26BI/AAAAAAAAEc0/suZ4u-__9_gCDo2dHj36Ee5_WqtVx3QkgCLcBGAs/s1600/DSC_9571.jpg" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BTEzQ9iPnOg/WYueci1eJoI/AAAAAAAAEdM/pISOlv19EcMRsW1As6VrjNI70DFyo5EPgCLcBGAs/s1600/Untitled-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: &quot;times&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1162" data-original-width="1600" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BTEzQ9iPnOg/WYueci1eJoI/AAAAAAAAEdM/pISOlv19EcMRsW1As6VrjNI70DFyo5EPgCLcBGAs/s1600/Untitled-4.jpg" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hSc6gLURthU/WYudwkojPtI/AAAAAAAAEc8/lTp9FLA3lFwillFUrgTDLqV6FBZF4aLegCLcBGAs/s1600/DSC_9609.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: &quot;times&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hSc6gLURthU/WYudwkojPtI/AAAAAAAAEc8/lTp9FLA3lFwillFUrgTDLqV6FBZF4aLegCLcBGAs/s1600/DSC_9609.jpg" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: &quot;times&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: &quot;times&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">on my second last day in byron bay, the incredible gabi mulder and i crossed paths for a magical, sun-drenched afternoon. we shared stories and vegan chocolate chip cookies, swam underneath the crashing waves and snapped photos in the fading golden light. i've admired gabi's work for years and she's hands-down one of my favourite photographers. she also truly has the sweetest soul made of sunshine to match.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">check out her beautiful work on her <u><a href="https://oakandbone.wordpress.com/">blog</a></u> and <u><a href="https://www.instagram.com/gabimulder/">instagram</a></u>. endlessly inspiring.</span></span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;times&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><br /></span> <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-G5uYG0xRc2k/WiCxdzL2FXI/AAAAAAAAEqk/7JnPHG9UKUk5TSGSRMkbXz6yrQltxjEIgCLcBGAs/s1600/A%2Bxx.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: &quot;times&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="85" data-original-width="172" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-G5uYG0xRc2k/WiCxdzL2FXI/AAAAAAAAEqk/7JnPHG9UKUk5TSGSRMkbXz6yrQltxjEIgCLcBGAs/s1600/A%2Bxx.jpg" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: &quot;times&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><br /></span></span>Araina Tasminhttps://plus.google.com/110751639591295983392noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8155972298852703610.post-54231315834967646092017-08-12T10:41:00.001+10:002017-12-01T12:37:42.333+11:00SUNSHINE, SNOW & THE BIG CITY<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9LWKww0ILqM/WYu4rwUjTpI/AAAAAAAAEeU/vTCLuZ3ygSg6idjSiKk3fvcbRx0a5NTeQCEwYBhgL/s1600/Untitled-7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1061" data-original-width="1600" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9LWKww0ILqM/WYu4rwUjTpI/AAAAAAAAEeU/vTCLuZ3ygSg6idjSiKk3fvcbRx0a5NTeQCEwYBhgL/s1600/Untitled-7.jpg" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xaRjdcPTvjw/WYu4LUk9J9I/AAAAAAAAEd0/6jggPithBpcHukns86WH9DT8m3_sKbvugCEwYBhgL/s1600/IMG_2947.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xaRjdcPTvjw/WYu4LUk9J9I/AAAAAAAAEd0/6jggPithBpcHukns86WH9DT8m3_sKbvugCEwYBhgL/s1600/IMG_2947.JPG" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-up_3rJkYDE8/WYu4u6f5wrI/AAAAAAAAEeY/0nIQfgZrUDYyGAIUkMBDHbOf2m9fnOBYwCEwYBhgL/s1600/Untitled-8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1061" data-original-width="1600" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-up_3rJkYDE8/WYu4u6f5wrI/AAAAAAAAEeY/0nIQfgZrUDYyGAIUkMBDHbOf2m9fnOBYwCEwYBhgL/s1600/Untitled-8.jpg" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4OdCtIn0aYU/WYu4FmIqGII/AAAAAAAAEds/VsaquJYTCF8sE_J-A1NnttWGiCfXhv7dgCEwYBhgL/s1600/DSC_9373.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4OdCtIn0aYU/WYu4FmIqGII/AAAAAAAAEds/VsaquJYTCF8sE_J-A1NnttWGiCfXhv7dgCEwYBhgL/s1600/DSC_9373.jpg" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-A2m6Qrb0gss/WYu5AvqdCKI/AAAAAAAAEec/jJP4KRwjDEoXEte5axOOE6odmCxHRgY4ACEwYBhgL/s1600/Untitled-9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1198" data-original-width="1600" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-A2m6Qrb0gss/WYu5AvqdCKI/AAAAAAAAEec/jJP4KRwjDEoXEte5axOOE6odmCxHRgY4ACEwYBhgL/s1600/Untitled-9.jpg" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4cjGI0ZWxdE/WYu4MeMbs8I/AAAAAAAAEd4/Ac9pbiRQsjEftCWLcN2kQ5B-R9lAfK3QwCEwYBhgL/s1600/DSC_9487.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1175" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4cjGI0ZWxdE/WYu4MeMbs8I/AAAAAAAAEd4/Ac9pbiRQsjEftCWLcN2kQ5B-R9lAfK3QwCEwYBhgL/s1600/DSC_9487.jpg" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-aHTz2XTtUgI/WYu4oSis4UI/AAAAAAAAEeQ/Pc5SGXvJrCwyeITnno-2Hgy1geBzAt6VQCEwYBhgL/s1600/Untitled-5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1062" data-original-width="1600" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-aHTz2XTtUgI/WYu4oSis4UI/AAAAAAAAEeQ/Pc5SGXvJrCwyeITnno-2Hgy1geBzAt6VQCEwYBhgL/s1600/Untitled-5.jpg" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YGr7y2hPysU/WYu4iknJ_UI/AAAAAAAAEeM/2lgUdPRo6a8bmE-H2uFu4LP7H6wRHYofQCEwYBhgL/s1600/Untitled-6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1055" data-original-width="1600" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YGr7y2hPysU/WYu4iknJ_UI/AAAAAAAAEeM/2lgUdPRo6a8bmE-H2uFu4LP7H6wRHYofQCEwYBhgL/s1600/Untitled-6.jpg" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QmbD28uMmVM/WYu4YoSrEKI/AAAAAAAAEeE/IL8XTp_7l2sgxHxiFWztOfkRJUGfikxcACEwYBhgL/s1600/Untitled-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="952" data-original-width="1600" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QmbD28uMmVM/WYu4YoSrEKI/AAAAAAAAEeE/IL8XTp_7l2sgxHxiFWztOfkRJUGfikxcACEwYBhgL/s1600/Untitled-3.jpg" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Yzv7ZBCyXRk/WYu4iVrJfNI/AAAAAAAAEeI/yc3A7meVWe8tHoE2tw_hzIm3Zho5q__CgCEwYBhgL/s1600/Untitled-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1021" data-original-width="1600" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Yzv7ZBCyXRk/WYu4iVrJfNI/AAAAAAAAEeI/yc3A7meVWe8tHoE2tw_hzIm3Zho5q__CgCEwYBhgL/s1600/Untitled-4.jpg" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-io7RA6-kFtI/WYu4YXkC-cI/AAAAAAAAEeA/Uw01_s2zhewHt2f_b1txLIFCzG-I9TbGgCEwYBhgL/s1600/Untitled-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1062" data-original-width="1600" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-io7RA6-kFtI/WYu4YXkC-cI/AAAAAAAAEeA/Uw01_s2zhewHt2f_b1txLIFCzG-I9TbGgCEwYBhgL/s1600/Untitled-2.jpg" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fYqOK3mbrBk/WYu4IR7UoCI/AAAAAAAAEdw/NtBDO0JDuQYaiEf__RgSlvea1w-XZpbGgCEwYBhgL/s1600/IMG_3486.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fYqOK3mbrBk/WYu4IR7UoCI/AAAAAAAAEdw/NtBDO0JDuQYaiEf__RgSlvea1w-XZpbGgCEwYBhgL/s1600/IMG_3486.JPG" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qnrTD0MP0vc/WYu4S-0ufPI/AAAAAAAAEd8/4IrJD-SNgJQSWETk-I4kuFTFpXs6JUZBQCEwYBhgL/s1600/Untitled-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1062" data-original-width="1600" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qnrTD0MP0vc/WYu4S-0ufPI/AAAAAAAAEd8/4IrJD-SNgJQSWETk-I4kuFTFpXs6JUZBQCEwYBhgL/s1600/Untitled-1.jpg" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">it's been a while, i know. honestly i've just been overwhelming uninspired and lost the last few months. the past six months have been the biggest rollercoaster and amidst trying to keep my head above the water i kinda lost track of everything i enjoy doing. stopped doing the things that light my soul on fire. up until a couple weeks ago i hadn't picked my camera up in months. hadn't done anything creative just for me, not just because the course i was doing forced me to. between my mental health breakdowns and boy whirlwinds, i got trapped in just trying to stay afloat.&nbsp;</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">under the growing pressure that i think most teenagers feel, i was panicking about what i was "going to do with my life", and growing increasingly more disheartened due to feeling as though the course i was doing just wasn't for me. i think i've mentioned a few times that i was doing a six month uni course that was supposed to be based around trialling different creative fields. while i enjoyed it to begin with, as it progressed i began to have doubts that it was the right path for me. as it was supposed to be a broad creative course, when i began to not truly enjoy it, i also began to question myself as a "creative person". i think subconsciously it became stuck in my head that because i wasn't enjoying this specific creative course, that a creative path in general wasn't right for me. cue 'aha' moment of potential cause of certain breakdowns in the last few months. i haven't really ever enjoyed anything that isn't creative in some sense, so it makes sense why i was struggling so much with this questioning.&nbsp;</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">a common theme in the last few months has been that i overwhelming felt as though i've had no real sense of purpose or anything going for me in life, which now appears obvious due to my abandonment of the things i enjoy. i now realise that i can't expect myself to have been happy during those months when i neglected that huge part of myself - the creative, expressive part. taking photos, editing photos, writing, putting together blog posts - those are some of the main things that light me up and warm my soul. i feel as though this blog continues to change as i constantly recreate myself and grow and find the things i want to share and write about, which at times results in me not knowing what i want to post. that's okay though, i'm learning not to force things and instead just trust the process. i've really been trying to surrender and put trust in the unconditional love and greater plans of the universe. as soon as i started doing that, everything began to fall into place. you become more supported by the universe the more you let go and stop pushing for things. there is a perfect time and place for everything. i know it's as cliche as it can possibly get but i believe so deeply that everything happens for a reason. it's all in line with the greater divine plans.&nbsp;</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">that was a giant backstory of some of the stuff going on in the last six months and i get that most people probably couldn't care less about my incessant life rambling, but honestly i write most of this blog crap purely for my own sake. whilst writing those last few paragraphs i kinda realised most of those things for the first time, so in that sense i guess some of what this blog has become is just me learning stuff. i can't promise i'm going to fully get back into the blog post swing of things, but i can say that i really would like to and i'm going to try my best to. hopefully once i continue to sort life things out and get back into the groove and flow of inspiration i'll start posting more regularly.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">speaking of sorting life things out, i just got home from almost a month away. what initially started as a two-week holiday to sunny byron bay turned into a month long adventure. as i already talked about in the last few paragraphs, the past 6ish months have just been suuper draining. before i left for this trip i could literally feel that my heart and soul were exhausted and depleted. over the span of a lunch date with one of my favourite women, i came up with the idea of heading to byron for a while and decided that was exactly what i needed. (spoiler: it totally was). within a week i had booked my tickets and was counting down the days until the sunshine and salt water.&nbsp;</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">byron was exactly what i needed and more. if you've heard of byron bay you've heard of the cliche spiritual nature of the place, and if you know me you know i can be as cliche as it gets. so i'm just gonna go out and say there's definitely some healing and magical energy to that place. almost immediately i just felt more at peace, grounded and centred, and those feelings lasted the duration of my trip. the two weeks i spent there were filled with endless sunshine, markets, swimming in the ocean, reading, yoga, fresh strawberries, journaling, meditating and just listening to what my soul needed, which a lot of the time was to just relax. my days were filled with a lot of introspection and reflection, which was extremely valuable, and at risk of sounding cliche once again, i learnt a lot and grew a lot. the seeds of a number of important lessons and mindset shifts were planted for me to continue to work at in the future. through and in addition to these lessons and realisations i really began to look into and deepen my spiritual knowledge, beliefs and practises. on one particular day i drove through winding backroads to a little cottage and had my first tarot reading, which was an insane, fascinating and enlightening experience. i also was lucky enough to spend an afternoon with one of my favourite photographers and just the sweetest soul, gabi mulder. (i've got a post coming up shortly with photos i took of her).&nbsp;</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">i feel blessed and thankful for trusting the flow and going with my heart and gut, which halfway through my trip led me to extend it for another two weeks. i'm suuper close with my mum and usually quite a homebody which i thought would result in me being my usual homesick self, but that couldn't have been further from the truth on this trip. due to my realisation that i could survive by myself, the day i was supposed to fly home i ended up only getting on my first flight and instead staying in melbourne and going up to mount hotham. much more fast-paced than byron, my time in melbourne was filled with incredible vegan food (i lost count of how many smith &amp; deli sandwiches i ate), walking through the city listening to want you back by haim, going to a uni open day and consequently freaking out about my future. i struggled in the big city with what i can only describe as sensory overload and missed the ocean within the first day i was there. there's definitely a contrast between the speeds of life in byron and melbourne, but i appreciated them both for what they brought. i then headed up to the mountain for a while where i visited mr bestfriend/soulmate and discovered my love for snowboarding. back to a slower pace, that week of snow was full of bliss and beauty and memories to be cherished for a long time.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">getting on my flight back home was pretty rough and bittersweet. i guess returning back to reality always is. as well as learning so much about myself, i was also just so happy and at peace within myself for pretty much the majority of the trip, which made coming home extra tough. as i kind of explained at the start of this post, before i left i was pretty darn unhappy and struggling with a lot of things, so i was scared to sink back into that headspace when i returned home after feeling so much better being away. i'm not gonna lie, being home this week has resulted in me feeling a bit down, but i know the steps i need to take to keep trying to improve that. currently trying to work out my life but my heart just keeps telling me to get on a one-way flight to hawaii, so we'll see. i'll keep you posted.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">if you've read this far i'm both surprised and thoroughly impressed. let me know what you've been up to in the comments below, i'd love to start more conversations with you all!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">all my love &amp; light,</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-G5uYG0xRc2k/WiCxdzL2FXI/AAAAAAAAEqo/pdY6jMCTjG8mRmvSwkC8_zj_4xUg_2BqACEwYBhgL/s1600/A%2Bxx.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="85" data-original-width="172" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-G5uYG0xRc2k/WiCxdzL2FXI/AAAAAAAAEqo/pdY6jMCTjG8mRmvSwkC8_zj_4xUg_2BqACEwYBhgL/s1600/A%2Bxx.jpg" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><br /></span></div>Araina Tasminhttps://plus.google.com/110751639591295983392noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8155972298852703610.post-69846434955321164742017-04-23T17:27:00.003+10:002017-12-01T12:43:00.251+11:00YELLOW<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3ItuwcC7-8U/WOhOAeDMMKI/AAAAAAAAEVI/bmq65sDhriE5BzvNnPg1Hf4G6sY6z5QlQCEw/s1600/Untitled-3%2Bcopy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3ItuwcC7-8U/WOhOAeDMMKI/AAAAAAAAEVI/bmq65sDhriE5BzvNnPg1Hf4G6sY6z5QlQCEw/s1600/Untitled-3%2Bcopy.jpg" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OL29Eb4MqvU/WOhOFxW9VOI/AAAAAAAAEVQ/oDZ-tWKnDw8cWSdyh_dgg51k1mZDMInMQCEw/s1600/stars.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OL29Eb4MqvU/WOhOFxW9VOI/AAAAAAAAEVQ/oDZ-tWKnDw8cWSdyh_dgg51k1mZDMInMQCEw/s1600/stars.jpg" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8VpMHv4Excg/WOhNZE7J7BI/AAAAAAAAEVE/L5j0E3mpHCEBkdPXc8daXYN6qQgS1OZXgCEw/s1600/DSC_8587.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8VpMHv4Excg/WOhNZE7J7BI/AAAAAAAAEVE/L5j0E3mpHCEBkdPXc8daXYN6qQgS1OZXgCEw/s1600/DSC_8587.jpg" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7q0c54OlPIM/WOhOL9aolZI/AAAAAAAAEVU/dEdlWEhlOkQ7R8twRB4j8rhRKojRTQWHACEw/s1600/Untitled-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7q0c54OlPIM/WOhOL9aolZI/AAAAAAAAEVU/dEdlWEhlOkQ7R8twRB4j8rhRKojRTQWHACEw/s1600/Untitled-2.jpg" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jHBI_L4UaGU/WOhU8Y6wBzI/AAAAAAAAEV0/ayC6CW39iSIc1aVRdWs6bhDGbUD20HTsQCLcB/s1600/DSC_8617.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jHBI_L4UaGU/WOhU8Y6wBzI/AAAAAAAAEV0/ayC6CW39iSIc1aVRdWs6bhDGbUD20HTsQCLcB/s1600/DSC_8617.jpg" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0Y-zglR6S9k/WOhOD0olnWI/AAAAAAAAEVM/1Xk3h2F5QN8ss_O-uBlp19C-XtsCvzr9QCEw/s1600/Untitled-4%2Bcopy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0Y-zglR6S9k/WOhOD0olnWI/AAAAAAAAEVM/1Xk3h2F5QN8ss_O-uBlp19C-XtsCvzr9QCEw/s1600/Untitled-4%2Bcopy.jpg" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">wearing: <i><a href="https://www.cloverandalice.com/collections/tops/products/mia-choker-blouse">blouse</a></i> c/o <i><a href="https://www.cloverandalice.com/">clover &amp; alice</a>&nbsp;/&nbsp;</i><i><a class="" href="https://www.cheep.com.au/">cheep</a></i> skirt / ecco boots</span></span><br /><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Times New Roman, Times New Roman, serif;">anyone who knows me knows that i'm a complete sucker for flared sleeves. they're just so flowy and groovy and ah, i dig them. i'm also just a huge fan of this blouse in general. its one of those shirts that could so easily go from super classy and dressed up to more casual and effortlessly cool. if you know me you'd also know that in the last month there pretty much hasn't been a single day i haven't worn fishnets. yeah, i jumped on that bandwagon pretty hard and don't think i'm going to come off it anytime soon either. i've also jumped on the colour yellow recently, which is something i never would have expected. heck, i even bought a yellow bag the other day. at uni we've learned a lot about colour, and yellow really does have such dang happy vibes attached to it.&nbsp;</span></span><br /><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Times New Roman, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, Times New Roman, serif;">in other news, i mentioned that i was going to a music festival a few weeks ago and would, i quote, "have my camera in my hand the whole time"... yeah i didn't take a&nbsp;single photo. alas, sadly there will be no festival photo post, but i did discover my surprising love for big gold hoop earrings, as evident in these photos.&nbsp;</span>apart from constant fishnets and gold hoops, the last few weeks have also involved a lot of crying (what's new) and getting the job i've wanted for ages at my favourite brand, sportsgirl. the staff discount is a dream and i'm accidently slowly buying a whole new wardrobe with every passing shift. expect some killer outfit pics coming up due to that.</span></span><br /><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Times New Roman, Times New Roman, serif;">with love,</span></span></span><br /><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"> </span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-G5uYG0xRc2k/WiCxdzL2FXI/AAAAAAAAEqo/pdY6jMCTjG8mRmvSwkC8_zj_4xUg_2BqACEwYBhgL/s1600/A%2Bxx.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="85" data-original-width="172" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-G5uYG0xRc2k/WiCxdzL2FXI/AAAAAAAAEqo/pdY6jMCTjG8mRmvSwkC8_zj_4xUg_2BqACEwYBhgL/s1600/A%2Bxx.jpg" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span><br /><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, 'Times New Roman', serif;">p.s. </span>i'd<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> love to get more conversations going in the comments below my posts. </span>i<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> get comments here and there, but it would make me super happy if this was more of a regular thing. throw all your feedback at me!! tell me what you hate or what you want to see more of, or even just tell me about your day!</span></span></span></span></span>Araina Tasminhttps://plus.google.com/110751639591295983392noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8155972298852703610.post-61827413499462137732017-04-19T20:33:00.003+10:002017-12-01T13:11:26.394+11:00RELEASE YOUR INNER GODDESS<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Qd1JkV8KnS0/WiC4ifgcEoI/AAAAAAAAEq0/7ktcpNyo7-4GFKoSZVjjGaShXYZMyAicgCLcBGAs/s1600/DSC_7764.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1068" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Qd1JkV8KnS0/WiC4ifgcEoI/AAAAAAAAEq0/7ktcpNyo7-4GFKoSZVjjGaShXYZMyAicgCLcBGAs/s1600/DSC_7764.jpg" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"> <span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">we live in a very masculine dominated world. over the past few decades, women have learned to cultivate more masculine qualities in order to succeed in this modern society. while to a degree, and in some aspects, this can be seen as a positive development, for many women this has also resulted in a loss of softer, feminine qualities. within this masculine, 'yang' energy society, women can often become largely disconnected from our inner feminine, 'yin' energy. as women, connecting&nbsp;</span>with our feminine energy on a regular basis is vital to our sense of self and connectivity, hormonal&nbsp;health&nbsp;and overall happiness.&nbsp;</span></span></span><br /><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">feminine traits can often be seen as 'weak' and those that both men and women should conceal. i've only recently realised that i have personally had a history of largely neglecting my feminine side during phases of my life. a funny example of this is hating the colour pink throughout a huge portion of my teenage years. before i&nbsp;entered adolescence, pink was my favourite colour&nbsp;from the moment i could have a favourite colour. then one day i decided i hated the colour, which lasted for years, due to the fact it was "too girly" or feminine. i've used this "too girly" remark in numerous other areas, like not wanting to wear dresses or hang out with girls, etc., all with the connotation and belief that being "girly" was a negative thing. this is a really toxic mindset that girls can often grow up in. probably largely due to the media, i think we can be shamed into not wanting to admit we like these "girly" things, because our society repeatedly portrays males as the superior gender, and thus, male activities and qualities as more valid.&nbsp;</span></span><br /><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">despite these societal beliefs that feminine qualities are 'weak', 'soft' and 'powerless',&nbsp;femininity is a gift - it makes us gentler, kinder, empathetic, nurturing, more compassionate and loving. connecting&nbsp;with your inner goddess/feminine energy is particularly essential in creativity and love, which are two of the most beautiful things humans have to offer. i think reclaiming our feminine nature is essential for women individually, and to raise feminine energy as an overall collective. becoming more in touch with this side of ourselves can help us live in a more authentic, peaceful and balanced way.</span></span><br /><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">with all that being said, below are some ways to become more in touch with your inner goddess or divine feminine energy.</span></span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><br /></span></span> </span></span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-isKrfjM48WY/WPQM6q1DkII/AAAAAAAAEWs/LP3X1QVI-cwWBUEx6QVMA3e9t42YT8W7QCLcB/s1600/moon%2Bcycles.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-isKrfjM48WY/WPQM6q1DkII/AAAAAAAAEWs/LP3X1QVI-cwWBUEx6QVMA3e9t42YT8W7QCLcB/s1600/moon%2Bcycles.jpg" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">something i've only somehow recently been made aware of is how incredibly connected to the moon us women are. i had a giddy little "ahhhh" moment when i found out that the average menstrual cycle is the same number of days as the moon's cycle. and that's no coincidence. by nature, women's cycles are designed to sync up with the moon's cycle, menstruating around the new moon and ovulating at the full moon. am i the only one that thinks that's so freaking cool?&nbsp;</span></span><br /><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">in most cultures the moon is considered to be a feminine entity, with the full moon believed to contain all the attributes of feminine power. to connect with your own inner feminine energy, being aware of the moon's cycle can be a powerful thing to do. create your own rituals surrounding moon phases. the new moon is a great time for women to look inwards and set intentions for the following cycle. its also a great time to cleanse the body and mind of negative, stale or stagnant energy. the full moon represents an opportunity to let go of things standing in your way, so is a great time to release things on a physical, mental, emotional or spiritual level. to tap into the energy of the moon, many cultures also advise taking a "moon bath", which includes going outside and soaking in the full moon for at least fifteen minutes.</span></span><br /><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><br /></span></span> </span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HbpT-KOab5c/WPQSszeW1jI/AAAAAAAAEXY/ciIzwc1TJfIlxub0ThWFeDDIMeLT1869wCLcB/s1600/quiet%2Btime.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HbpT-KOab5c/WPQSszeW1jI/AAAAAAAAEXY/ciIzwc1TJfIlxub0ThWFeDDIMeLT1869wCLcB/s1600/quiet%2Btime.jpg" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">connecting with your inner feminine energy goes hand in hand with connecting to your inner self in general. i think you can only find that inner goddess if you create the space to listen to and honour her. take time to cultivate that space to connect and tend to your inner being by carving out 'me time' in your daily life. i wrote <i><u><a href="http://www.misstasmin.com/2017/02/creating-daily-spiritual-practice.html">this</a></u></i> post about the importance of this and some suggestions of daily rituals.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><br /></span></span> </span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QEkzOA8Vw7s/WPQStDbjXPI/AAAAAAAAEXc/t28bs0gwj9o_-fmmsOTxsyXZAfbeKDB4QCLcB/s1600/receiving.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QEkzOA8Vw7s/WPQStDbjXPI/AAAAAAAAEXc/t28bs0gwj9o_-fmmsOTxsyXZAfbeKDB4QCLcB/s1600/receiving.jpg" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">receptivity is one of the core qualities of feminine energy, so open yourself up to receiving. i and many others believe in the universe existing as a feminine entity, so connect with your feminine energy by placing trust in the universe. many situations as of recently have led me to the belief that surrendering and letting yourself fall will always result in the universe catching you. things usually occur much more smoothly when we give up control and allow things to happen naturally. control is rooted in fear and is also a result of being attached to a specific outcome that we believe is best for us. however, in most situations i think the universe has a greater plan for us that we often don't see because we've been blinded by what we think we need. when we stop trying to control everything and let go, we open ourselves up to a multitude of possibilities. stop trying to fight the universe and instead trust her plan and the natural flow of things.</span></span><br /><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><br /></span></span> <span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"> </span> </span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PVcSIcHmloI/WPQStuu-fsI/AAAAAAAAEXk/z7FX08pzc50Rqs2IzCz75w-B0TfO1mbeACLcB/s1600/surround%2Byourself%2Bwith%2Bbeauty.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PVcSIcHmloI/WPQStuu-fsI/AAAAAAAAEXk/z7FX08pzc50Rqs2IzCz75w-B0TfO1mbeACLcB/s1600/surround%2Byourself%2Bwith%2Bbeauty.jpg" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">an easy way to connect with your feminine energy is to surround yourself with beauty. turn your personal space into a goddess sanctuary. clear out clutter and add beautiful things - plants, flowers, crystals, art, etc. creating a beautiful, sacred space is about devoting a place for you to breathe, create and grow in. on the metaphysical level, our world is just one big field of energy and energetically speaking, clutter creates blockages in energy. our physical environments affect our inner world and how we think, feel and operate. i know if i can muster up the motivation, something as simple as cleaning my room when i'm feeling crappy can usually help at least a bit. i moved from my previous small, dark, pink room into a new room filled with natural light a few months ago and proceeded to make it a space i really wanted to be in. its the nicest feeling coming home to a place that inspires you. i think surrounding yourself with crystals, plants and flowers in particular is a super sweet way of adding beauty to your daily life and connecting with your own feminine energy, as well as that of mother nature.</span></span><br /><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><br /></span></span> </span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Dz2dqMbguV8/WPQSsX6cpdI/AAAAAAAAEXQ/7iLVR4i_TaA8uTqpKSTEP1NQj-55APnrgCLcB/s1600/love%2Byour%2Bbody.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Dz2dqMbguV8/WPQSsX6cpdI/AAAAAAAAEXQ/7iLVR4i_TaA8uTqpKSTEP1NQj-55APnrgCLcB/s1600/love%2Byour%2Bbody.jpg" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">straight up, the female body is one of the most beautiful forms of art. i know learning to love your body is one of the most difficult personal challenges a lot of women face, but trying to view yourself as art is one way to challenge societal norms of beauty. there is no ideal body for a woman, all bodies are beautiful, divine feminine creations. don't apologise for your shape. your body is a beautiful and sacred vessel from which life is created. different societies around the world have different beliefs of what a "feminine body" looks like, so rejecting these stereotypes is crucial in realising the inherent feminine beauty of your own form. big boobs and curves? feminine and beautiful. small boobs and no curves? still feminine and beautiful as heck.</span></span><br /><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><br /></span></span> </span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lqD7uib1FZQ/WPQSriAexyI/AAAAAAAAEXI/VJjNseG3sZMtP21hM0tXlXSIcJWI_BS7wCLcB/s1600/heart.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lqD7uib1FZQ/WPQSriAexyI/AAAAAAAAEXI/VJjNseG3sZMtP21hM0tXlXSIcJWI_BS7wCLcB/s1600/heart.jpg" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">living from your heart is one of the most powerful ways to honour and connect with your feminine energy. as well as being an intrinsically feminine act, it is my belief that this choice, rather than living "from your head", is the way to the most genuine and personally fulfilling life. anyone who knows me knows that i love love, and maybe its just because of that trait, but i believe that at the end of the day its one of the only things that truly matters. so love bravely, honestly, fully and wholeheartedly, yourself and others.</span></span><br /><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><br /></span></span> </span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/--8bkG7THNgE/WPQSsAT_hGI/AAAAAAAAEXM/9Zm2gWfFFnUF7BHeP95LHkMkGCA6zvwDgCLcB/s1600/mother%2Bnature.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/--8bkG7THNgE/WPQSsAT_hGI/AAAAAAAAEXM/9Zm2gWfFFnUF7BHeP95LHkMkGCA6zvwDgCLcB/s1600/mother%2Bnature.jpg" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">mother nature is the ultimate, most powerful, ever-present, divine goddess. parallels between women and nature are everywhere. as mentioned previously, a female's cycle can be linked directly to the lunar cycle, and both nature and women have the ability and power to create life. i think the busier our lives become, the more prevalent the need to connect with mother nature becomes. we weren't&nbsp;</span></span><span style="background-color: white;">designed to live in concrete jungles. connect with your own feminine&nbsp;energy through the abundant feminine energy of mother nature. step outside and put your hands or feet in the grass or dirt, swim in the ocean, really watch the sunset.</span></span><br /><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><br /></span></span> </span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-b4Ubb-xa5Iw/WPQSsRkPoOI/AAAAAAAAEXU/MMFbSR2Qby0UV7rE9OlUUaUOk64hnHEEACLcB/s1600/pamper%2Burself.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-b4Ubb-xa5Iw/WPQSsRkPoOI/AAAAAAAAEXU/MMFbSR2Qby0UV7rE9OlUUaUOk64hnHEEACLcB/s1600/pamper%2Burself.jpg" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">hands down one of the times&nbsp;i feel the most "goddess-like" is after a self-love pampering session. its cliche as heck, but light some candles,&nbsp;</span></span>put on a facemask, have a lavender oil &amp; epsom salt bath, moisturise yourself from head to toe, put on some cute underwear, and *bam*, instant goddess vibes.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><br /></span></span> </span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rYg0eH4L6WY/WPQSrcLtKmI/AAAAAAAAEXA/4osjw2nnSGcVO9LtOduxOM4_Wk1Ro6JSACLcB/s1600/clothing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rYg0eH4L6WY/WPQSrcLtKmI/AAAAAAAAEXA/4osjw2nnSGcVO9LtOduxOM4_Wk1Ro6JSACLcB/s1600/clothing.jpg" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">while i think women should feel, and are, beautiful no matter what they're wearing, i&nbsp;</span></span>don't think there's anything wrong with wanting to put in some effort and look extra nice sometimes (or always, if that's your thing). i think wearing clothing that makes you feel beautiful is a surface way of honouring&nbsp;your inner goddess. that will look different for everyone. for me, wearing long, flowy, floral dresses completely makes me feel like a freaking goddess, however i know for other women a completely different outfit would have that same liberating effect. it may seem silly, but i have a go-to dress that i rarely wear, but when i do i feel utterly&nbsp;unstoppable and radiating feminine energy.&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">i've spoken a couple of times on here about quitting wearing makeup, lasting a very long time, but in the last week i've been exploring playing around with makeup and honestly i feel really good about it. similarly as with the&nbsp;clothing situation, makeup can have different effects on different people. i know the months or years i didn't wear makeup were personally very liberating for me and taught me to feel feminine and beautiful in my natural state. but now that i've gone through that phase, i can now experiment with makeup in a really healthy and enjoyable way. i haven't started wearing it to cover or change myself or as a way to better my view of myself. right now wearing some eye makeup and highlighter, a pretty dress and gold hoops is making me feel&nbsp;beautiful and feminine as heck.&nbsp;if wearing black jeans and a hoodie makes you feel bomb then that's just as cool .</span></span><br /><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"> </span></span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kaGMcoJwRe4/WPQStNZWP-I/AAAAAAAAEXg/HBy8TJWcIIopnt46gaPRxqsCJmOdwQnMQCLcB/s1600/spend%2Btime%2Bwith%2Bgoddesses.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kaGMcoJwRe4/WPQStNZWP-I/AAAAAAAAEXg/HBy8TJWcIIopnt46gaPRxqsCJmOdwQnMQCLcB/s1600/spend%2Btime%2Bwith%2Bgoddesses.jpg" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><br /></span></span><br /><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">i've gone through phases, especially when i've been dating a guy, where i completely neglect hanging out with female friends. i convince myself that i don't desire it, but then when i do hang out with them again i realise how much i'd been missing it.&nbsp;</span></span>spend time with the goddess in your life. honestly one of my favourite feelings is when my car is packed with my girl friends and we're all singing to kehlani, lana del rey, rihanna or beyonce at the top of our lungs.&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">on an even more powerful level than that, i went to my first women's circle the night of the full moon last week. it was the most beautiful and powerful night i've experienced. it was such a wonderful thing to have a space to be open and vulnerable in, surrounded by incredible women. i don't think i'm the only one who really neglects female friends and energy at times. in many cultures women used to (and still do) gather together, to connect, inspire and nurture one another. that tradition is largely non-existent in modern western society at least. to raise the feminine power within us individually and collectively, we need to honour and make spaces to come together and raise each other up.</span></span><br /><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><br /></span></span> </span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FZA8pugcaPI/WPQSt1G6uEI/AAAAAAAAEXo/8zpHHdK1TkAco71wfKVMb7YtEpwlD32OQCLcB/s1600/vulnerable.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FZA8pugcaPI/WPQSt1G6uEI/AAAAAAAAEXo/8zpHHdK1TkAco71wfKVMb7YtEpwlD32OQCLcB/s1600/vulnerable.jpg" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">vulnerability, openness and honesty are stereotypical feminine traits. in the same way as living from our hearts, living vulnerably, openly and honestly is the way to honour our feminine energy and in my opinion, is also the most fulfilling way to live. the last couple of weeks in particular have really highlighted the deep importance of honesty to me. to have meaningful, satisfying relationships with others and ourselves, honesty has to constantly be at the very core of our words and actions. similarly, i've also come to value and appreciate the trait of vulnerability as of late. i've always been super sensitive and hated that, but there is beauty and strength in rawness and vulnerability. i've been learning to try to appreciate feeling everything so deeply, because i think in our harsh world that's a beautiful thing. good things and connections happen when we let down our guards and are honest and real.</span></span><br /><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><br /></span> </span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jQQAP7ZeLgM/WPQNRkqaEcI/AAAAAAAAEWw/7psqfaCrAAwrJJLuUMycAeKiZ5rLAJMXACLcB/s1600/release%2Bcompetition.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jQQAP7ZeLgM/WPQNRkqaEcI/AAAAAAAAEWw/7psqfaCrAAwrJJLuUMycAeKiZ5rLAJMXACLcB/s1600/release%2Bcompetition.jpg" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">females can be known to be catty and bitchy to each other and look down on other women, which is a toxic and damaging thing for all those involved. i think we've been raised to see other women as competition, which probably primarily explains the desire to tear each other down. a completely freeing act is to release competition with other women. stop comparing yourself - another woman's beauty is not the absence of your own. build other women up instead of tearing each other down. us girls need to look out for each other.</span></span></span><br /><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"> <span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">i feel like this post has gone in a million different directions. what can i say, i got carried away. i hope i didn't miss the point entirely and that in some way this post maybe inspires you to get in touch with your feminine energy. that's where your true power lies. release that beautiful, strong goddess within you!</span></span></span><br /><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><br /></span> </span><br /><div><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">all my love,</span><br /><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-G5uYG0xRc2k/WiCxdzL2FXI/AAAAAAAAEqo/pdY6jMCTjG8mRmvSwkC8_zj_4xUg_2BqACEwYBhgL/s1600/A%2Bxx.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="85" data-original-width="172" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-G5uYG0xRc2k/WiCxdzL2FXI/AAAAAAAAEqo/pdY6jMCTjG8mRmvSwkC8_zj_4xUg_2BqACEwYBhgL/s1600/A%2Bxx.jpg" /></span></a></div>Araina Tasminhttps://plus.google.com/110751639591295983392noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8155972298852703610.post-6840837034574819992017-03-10T11:30:00.001+11:002017-12-01T13:15:23.771+11:00REDBONE<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-j0-3LyvQBZA/WLuuaOc0CnI/AAAAAAAAEQU/Zxn2fzdPMYE79K5y2AQbkERs72E1moHdQCLcB/s1600/DSC_7398.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-j0-3LyvQBZA/WLuuaOc0CnI/AAAAAAAAEQU/Zxn2fzdPMYE79K5y2AQbkERs72E1moHdQCLcB/s1600/DSC_7398.jpg" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_h_tNaacEMA/WLuvdoRMAaI/AAAAAAAAERE/8RKpGnEOfF0wCaAfRIjRyWOQaWiMPRIFACLcB/s1600/Untitled-5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_h_tNaacEMA/WLuvdoRMAaI/AAAAAAAAERE/8RKpGnEOfF0wCaAfRIjRyWOQaWiMPRIFACLcB/s1600/Untitled-5.jpg" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qUrmOCeHtPc/WLuuNKVTYXI/AAAAAAAAEQQ/2D2KYC-Ex0UzIOf5FKsc2Uap3hWUfBf-QCLcB/s1600/DSC_7342.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qUrmOCeHtPc/WLuuNKVTYXI/AAAAAAAAEQQ/2D2KYC-Ex0UzIOf5FKsc2Uap3hWUfBf-QCLcB/s1600/DSC_7342.jpg" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-n6haO3lk0TU/WLuuK2wbiHI/AAAAAAAAEQM/7QDPOauCXywC0MT3IivG1k2a9gfpsD2nwCLcB/s1600/DSC_7466.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-n6haO3lk0TU/WLuuK2wbiHI/AAAAAAAAEQM/7QDPOauCXywC0MT3IivG1k2a9gfpsD2nwCLcB/s1600/DSC_7466.jpg" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-oSxglTnNw5s/WLuua9AOwCI/AAAAAAAAEQY/kknIlpM0IAYhHlXYejH5T7qnB765z8PxACLcB/s1600/DSC_7488.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-oSxglTnNw5s/WLuua9AOwCI/AAAAAAAAEQY/kknIlpM0IAYhHlXYejH5T7qnB765z8PxACLcB/s1600/DSC_7488.jpg" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lYIYUc-xCRM/WLuuaxgA1gI/AAAAAAAAEQc/tyZVu0bgX7Y1LAz2iXTbsOuaJ5fyIs7EQCLcB/s1600/DSC_7475.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lYIYUc-xCRM/WLuuaxgA1gI/AAAAAAAAEQc/tyZVu0bgX7Y1LAz2iXTbsOuaJ5fyIs7EQCLcB/s1600/DSC_7475.jpg" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NmeBJDpqDA8/WLuumCXcJyI/AAAAAAAAEQk/QtuZjPEpuTQ_hbqhTgNABzPNZU5iIIXRQCLcB/s1600/DSC_7670.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NmeBJDpqDA8/WLuumCXcJyI/AAAAAAAAEQk/QtuZjPEpuTQ_hbqhTgNABzPNZU5iIIXRQCLcB/s1600/DSC_7670.jpg" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kANhx5j49GU/WLuuxekUO-I/AAAAAAAAEQw/MfiRo2gDcOcuLQP9ZUiKDBMx1iSdp9hPACLcB/s1600/DSC_7698.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kANhx5j49GU/WLuuxekUO-I/AAAAAAAAEQw/MfiRo2gDcOcuLQP9ZUiKDBMx1iSdp9hPACLcB/s1600/DSC_7698.jpg" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZCjBtmjhmaA/WLuuvIqoD0I/AAAAAAAAEQs/vEYYTYAWlNEISG3EGAOBV6ubmaJ4FwGAACLcB/s1600/DSC_7710.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZCjBtmjhmaA/WLuuvIqoD0I/AAAAAAAAEQs/vEYYTYAWlNEISG3EGAOBV6ubmaJ4FwGAACLcB/s1600/DSC_7710.jpg" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8nQg9N7dsjg/WLuvKVycCII/AAAAAAAAEQ4/qTGHgmfZ2-0N7cO4sKX7YeZsAoeytTG1wCLcB/s1600/Untitled-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8nQg9N7dsjg/WLuvKVycCII/AAAAAAAAEQ4/qTGHgmfZ2-0N7cO4sKX7YeZsAoeytTG1wCLcB/s1600/Untitled-1.jpg" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oupFMM0jA3E/WLuulh6tXRI/AAAAAAAAEQg/DyIpYC66jjk-WYm3akKCz6uUE3LZx3g-QCLcB/s1600/DSC_7525.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oupFMM0jA3E/WLuulh6tXRI/AAAAAAAAEQg/DyIpYC66jjk-WYm3akKCz6uUE3LZx3g-QCLcB/s1600/DSC_7525.jpg" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zecdbc_Rxd8/WLuvJt_xzGI/AAAAAAAAEQ0/5qafrEiY2bQYeuL1SXjFx4PAhBsNAQcdQCLcB/s1600/Untitled-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zecdbc_Rxd8/WLuvJt_xzGI/AAAAAAAAEQ0/5qafrEiY2bQYeuL1SXjFx4PAhBsNAQcdQCLcB/s1600/Untitled-2.jpg" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-C_qwsoo-Ubg/WLuuoMGsEdI/AAAAAAAAEQo/musbf6MCulQHG0z3L1U_EfJSB07hYpRGACLcB/s1600/DSC_7600.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-C_qwsoo-Ubg/WLuuoMGsEdI/AAAAAAAAEQo/musbf6MCulQHG0z3L1U_EfJSB07hYpRGACLcB/s1600/DSC_7600.jpg" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Times New Roman, Times New Roman, serif;">this is just going to be a quick post, as i'm&nbsp;heading to a music festival this afternoon and still have a bucket load of stuff to do. hopefully&nbsp;i'll have my camera in my hand the whole time and end up with some pretty snaps to share.</span></span><br /><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Times New Roman, Times New Roman, serif;">these photos were taken last week on an adventure to a forest full of the most beautiful trees. we packed the boot of my car with long pretty dresses and a picnic to share. i had the loveliest time taking photos of my incredible friends and felt an overflowing sense of love for them and all women. since becoming single i'm really getting in touch with my feminine side and just completely digging goddess energy. i think i'll make a post more on that subject soon.</span></span><br /><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Times New Roman, Times New Roman, serif;">talk to you soon,</span></span><br /><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-G5uYG0xRc2k/WiCxdzL2FXI/AAAAAAAAEqo/pdY6jMCTjG8mRmvSwkC8_zj_4xUg_2BqACEwYBhgL/s1600/A%2Bxx.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="85" data-original-width="172" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-G5uYG0xRc2k/WiCxdzL2FXI/AAAAAAAAEqo/pdY6jMCTjG8mRmvSwkC8_zj_4xUg_2BqACEwYBhgL/s1600/A%2Bxx.jpg" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: &quot;times&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><span style="font-family: &quot;times new roman&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><br /></span></span>Araina Tasminhttps://plus.google.com/110751639591295983392noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8155972298852703610.post-80155557183374094552017-02-26T18:18:00.001+11:002017-12-01T13:17:32.376+11:00VELVET ROMANCE<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-G3uq2PE1qoo/WK4EAKF3IMI/AAAAAAAAEOM/p8T74GBatfMmmF5Ri7zm24EQRIVRK-q1wCEw/s1600/DSC_5166.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-G3uq2PE1qoo/WK4EAKF3IMI/AAAAAAAAEOM/p8T74GBatfMmmF5Ri7zm24EQRIVRK-q1wCEw/s1600/DSC_5166.jpg" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hlkxy8rie-c/WK4ElQnUDtI/AAAAAAAAEOM/GNCm7pgVbwQYXdaVJMQZg4fPsbgNsVL3wCEw/s1600/Untitled-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hlkxy8rie-c/WK4ElQnUDtI/AAAAAAAAEOM/GNCm7pgVbwQYXdaVJMQZg4fPsbgNsVL3wCEw/s1600/Untitled-3.jpg" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-D_IdnYb-wG4/WK4D1nSrOPI/AAAAAAAAEOA/zTYW_5VjmAwRjLLOVSVnmWcI5y2xkTVSwCEw/s1600/DSC_5159.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-D_IdnYb-wG4/WK4D1nSrOPI/AAAAAAAAEOA/zTYW_5VjmAwRjLLOVSVnmWcI5y2xkTVSwCEw/s1600/DSC_5159.jpg" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tHaoobQL7yE/WK4ETlitP2I/AAAAAAAAEOM/Z_F77g7OFIcjpIiv4FE1hqz3kFmn4Cj4QCEw/s1600/Untitled-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tHaoobQL7yE/WK4ETlitP2I/AAAAAAAAEOM/Z_F77g7OFIcjpIiv4FE1hqz3kFmn4Cj4QCEw/s1600/Untitled-2.jpg" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GUEjBXcHqIo/WK4DdI9ZpfI/AAAAAAAAEOA/wVn3I3QKw3gyW-KnQuBdcpjo8EuOn4HKQCEw/s1600/DSC_5089.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GUEjBXcHqIo/WK4DdI9ZpfI/AAAAAAAAEOA/wVn3I3QKw3gyW-KnQuBdcpjo8EuOn4HKQCEw/s1600/DSC_5089.jpg" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-q67ck6mPhaM/WK4EohsXe5I/AAAAAAAAEOI/io9SmBD6LWETC4wc1jFpu2hL-zWeO7pMQCEw/s1600/Untitled-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-q67ck6mPhaM/WK4EohsXe5I/AAAAAAAAEOI/io9SmBD6LWETC4wc1jFpu2hL-zWeO7pMQCEw/s1600/Untitled-1.jpg" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CoJEe2kASm8/WK4DoCsgpWI/AAAAAAAAEOA/lRszSPL1Em8sNv6bnCH5SJKixe1vOHAygCEw/s1600/DSC_5140.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CoJEe2kASm8/WK4DoCsgpWI/AAAAAAAAEOA/lRszSPL1Em8sNv6bnCH5SJKixe1vOHAygCEw/s1600/DSC_5140.jpg" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8Nue9TizOn4/WK4DxacDlPI/AAAAAAAAEOA/kI5Y3oVVhh8MZL6kSTnsBK3-GYc4UP6dgCEw/s1600/DSC_5161.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8Nue9TizOn4/WK4DxacDlPI/AAAAAAAAEOA/kI5Y3oVVhh8MZL6kSTnsBK3-GYc4UP6dgCEw/s1600/DSC_5161.jpg" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">wearing : tobi <i><a href="http://www.tobi.com/au/tops/blouses#color_id=81935">blouse</a></i> / factorie <a href="http://www.factorie.com.au/p/90s-mom-jean/9344943787392.html?region=AU#region=AU&amp;q=mom+jean&amp;start=1"><i>jeans</i></a> / vans</span></span><br /><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">um, how freaking incredible is this top?? i'm a total sucker for anything velvet or floral, so combine the two and its a match made in heaven. you can find it over on <i><a href="http://tobi.com/au">tobi.com/au</a></i>, along with a kimono and skirt in the same pattern, which i've convinced myself i need also. this top can definitely be paired with a skirt and heels for a more dressed up look, or, as pictured, chuck on some mom jeans and vans and you're good to go too. on a side note: how perfect is the colouring of the wall we happened to find to take&nbsp;these photos! a band called&nbsp;<i>slowly, slowly</i>&nbsp;also walked up and had a chat to us and asked to be in a photo while we were taking these, but neither grace nor i recognised them, which was quite a laugh afterwards.</span></span><br /><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">as i mentioned in my last post, i started my new uni course this week and let me just say, its the best thing since sliced bread (why is that even a saying? sliced bread isn't <i>that</i> great?). i came home this afternoon dying to do homework, which i think is a pretty cool thing. i'm super stoked to be pursuing a creative path and can't wait to see where it leads me. this whole having a broken heart thing is bloody painful, but i know this is going to be a period of huge self growth.</span></span><br /><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">love, araina xxx</span></span><br /><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"> </span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-G5uYG0xRc2k/WiCxdzL2FXI/AAAAAAAAEqo/pdY6jMCTjG8mRmvSwkC8_zj_4xUg_2BqACEwYBhgL/s1600/A%2Bxx.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="85" data-original-width="172" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-G5uYG0xRc2k/WiCxdzL2FXI/AAAAAAAAEqo/pdY6jMCTjG8mRmvSwkC8_zj_4xUg_2BqACEwYBhgL/s1600/A%2Bxx.jpg" /></span></a></div>Araina Tasminhttps://plus.google.com/110751639591295983392noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8155972298852703610.post-52426874113023026802017-02-24T12:33:00.002+11:002017-02-28T09:54:42.940+11:00PASTEL<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HYKZ_Aq7xoU/WK6haGYmo-I/AAAAAAAAEOc/YAgRPNbcfqQuhtFwNzQSCmOvmm4apslXwCLcB/s1600/DSC_5196.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><img border="0" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HYKZ_Aq7xoU/WK6haGYmo-I/AAAAAAAAEOc/YAgRPNbcfqQuhtFwNzQSCmOvmm4apslXwCLcB/s1600/DSC_5196.jpg" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CYRDFOlMXb4/WK6kYlw9mzI/AAAAAAAAEPU/DEaqPUnSl2wj4yjQk8Gy7e_V-gsiN0QAACLcB/s1600/Untitled-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><img border="0" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CYRDFOlMXb4/WK6kYlw9mzI/AAAAAAAAEPU/DEaqPUnSl2wj4yjQk8Gy7e_V-gsiN0QAACLcB/s1600/Untitled-3.jpg" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TXz1XyF73-k/WK6hgI8eEtI/AAAAAAAAEOk/m6tc-yFBfLQGnfb-80-q_FhobYw06ca5gCLcB/s1600/DSC_5219.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><img border="0" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TXz1XyF73-k/WK6hgI8eEtI/AAAAAAAAEOk/m6tc-yFBfLQGnfb-80-q_FhobYw06ca5gCLcB/s1600/DSC_5219.jpg" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bJ30zlScUzk/WK6lOU8trmI/AAAAAAAAEPg/MWkcOFyP_OsyiVnwTYRMMhKh6f6J7UK5gCLcB/s1600/Untitled-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><img border="0" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bJ30zlScUzk/WK6lOU8trmI/AAAAAAAAEPg/MWkcOFyP_OsyiVnwTYRMMhKh6f6J7UK5gCLcB/s1600/Untitled-1.jpg" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6hF---Ui8Mw/WK6hvFpuXSI/AAAAAAAAEOo/Su2Wsca_xdE0Gb7GqBQE51VypgxYqfbaQCLcB/s1600/DSC_5249.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6hF---Ui8Mw/WK6hvFpuXSI/AAAAAAAAEOo/Su2Wsca_xdE0Gb7GqBQE51VypgxYqfbaQCLcB/s1600/DSC_5249.jpg" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OS0ySrm7-rE/WK6i3n1rM3I/AAAAAAAAEPE/u6U1_DMj8L8grud4nfNVsPxBE1DOnMdxACLcB/s1600/Untitled-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OS0ySrm7-rE/WK6i3n1rM3I/AAAAAAAAEPE/u6U1_DMj8L8grud4nfNVsPxBE1DOnMdxACLcB/s1600/Untitled-1.jpg" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tIrvC3aKptM/WKFnj_wY4zI/AAAAAAAAEL4/_UdJLcqzUsgOOXQe1h_UpkXREqQ0soXnQCLcB/s1600/Untitled-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><img border="0" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tIrvC3aKptM/WKFnj_wY4zI/AAAAAAAAEL4/_UdJLcqzUsgOOXQe1h_UpkXREqQ0soXnQCLcB/s1600/Untitled-3.jpg" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-O9MyUlef0AM/WKFm540uCmI/AAAAAAAAELk/SId5FAnepvw4LPiSMMshW2Fj8_OfnZVRACLcB/s1600/DSC_7240.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><img border="0" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-O9MyUlef0AM/WKFm540uCmI/AAAAAAAAELk/SId5FAnepvw4LPiSMMshW2Fj8_OfnZVRACLcB/s1600/DSC_7240.jpg" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-AaY82kEzBzo/WKFniDNGmjI/AAAAAAAAEL0/oD6_qmnpBZAx-uvQ5UXWdhRWkFDNuQEggCLcB/s1600/Untitled-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><img border="0" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-AaY82kEzBzo/WKFniDNGmjI/AAAAAAAAEL0/oD6_qmnpBZAx-uvQ5UXWdhRWkFDNuQEggCLcB/s1600/Untitled-2.jpg" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">outfit one : <i>tobi</i> <a href="http://www.tobi.com/au/dresses/pink-dresses#color_id=91130">dress</a> / <i>ecco</i> boots /&nbsp;<i>sportsgirl</i>&nbsp;<a href="http://www.sportsgirl.com.au/accessories/chokers/black-velvet-choker-black-all">choker</a> /// outfit two : <i>tobi</i> <a href="http://www.tobi.com/au/dresses/blue-dresses#color_id=89575">dress</a> / <i>converse</i></span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">hello, beautiful people. for this post i styled two dresses from the brand <a href="http://www.tobi.com/au"><i>Tobi</i></a>. while they're similar in style - both low-backed and pastel-coloured, i wanted to make one a more casual, laid-back look and the other slightly dressier. i'm really digging pastel colours right now, and did anyone notice that the blue dress has pockets? its love.</span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">a lot has happened in the&nbsp;past week. the big old red van broke down, my boyfriend broke up with me, i started uni, i tried an&nbsp;acai bowl for the first time, i went to centrelink by myself, i started drinking coffee again, i bought three new bras, i gave money to two homeless people, i hung out with more friends than i usually do in a month, i drove here-there-and-everywhere, and i watched fifty&nbsp;shades darker, twice. just between nursing a broken heart and starting uni, its been a pretty crazy week, and i haven't really&nbsp;stopped to breathe until this morning. while keeping busy has been lifesaving, i could feel myself become increasingly overwhelmed and didn't want to burn out. today i decided to stay home for the first time in the week and just give myself some space. i slept in this morning, made myself a cup of tea, then went for a run and am about to make myself a super&nbsp;nourishing lunch. lesson learnt: despite what we may try to convince ourselves of, we aren't all capable of non-stop go, go, go.</span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">all my love,</span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">araina xx</span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/arainatasmin/" style="color: #444444; line-height: 18px; text-decoration: none;">instagram</a><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;">&nbsp;//&nbsp;</span><a href="http://misste.tumblr.com/" style="color: #444444; line-height: 18px; text-decoration: none;">tumblr</a><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;">&nbsp;// email: araina.tasmin@hotmail.com</span></span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><br /></span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pmmXvI8MOgs/WK6oQmVZx6I/AAAAAAAAEPs/NrYzoYboC94rUQwCtlUIdWN42B_sc0sAgCLcB/s1600/flower.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><img border="0" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pmmXvI8MOgs/WK6oQmVZx6I/AAAAAAAAEPs/NrYzoYboC94rUQwCtlUIdWN42B_sc0sAgCLcB/s1600/flower.jpg" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">p.s. my lovely friend grace took the first set of photos and i'm on my way to convincing her to&nbsp;accept my job offer of full-time blog photographer. you can find her <a href="https://www.instagram.com/gracie_chiar/">here</a> and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/gracechiaphotog/">here</a>.</span>Araina Tasminhttps://plus.google.com/110751639591295983392noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8155972298852703610.post-75821739110204684972017-02-15T21:11:00.002+11:002017-02-15T21:11:25.272+11:00CREATING A DAILY SPIRITUAL PRACTICE<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">google's definition of spirituality : "the quality of being concerned with the human spirit or soul as opposed to material or physical things."</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">the idea and importance of creating a daily spiritual practice was brought forth into my mind after reading rebecca campbell's book, "light is the new black". she states that "you cannot hear the callings of your soul if you don't carve time out to listen to them daily." throughout the book she continuously stresses the importance of making time to add rituals into your everyday life that allow for space to listen to and heal your spirit and soul.&nbsp;</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">though 'spiritual practice' may sound both super hippy and daunting, i promise it isn't. creating a daily spiritual practice means tending your spirit,&nbsp;</span>bringing your body, mind and soul into balance, and&nbsp;deepening your spiritual connection through daily practices. having daily routines,&nbsp;practices or rituals can help serve as reminders to tend to the spirit/soul and become rooted in the present.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">in this post i'm going to be talking about some practices and tools you can use to infuse your day with mindfulness.&nbsp;</span>a spiritual practice will look different for everyone, and not all (or any) of the following practices or tools will interest you.&nbsp;these are some things i personally try to do. i am in no means an expert or pro at this topic <i>in the slightest</i> - some days i may do all or most of these practices, others i do none. creating a spiritual practice is a journey and forming habits most often take a lot of time, effort and dedication.&nbsp;i do really notice that if i start my day with at least one of these rituals, i feel a lot more grounded and less scattered and irritable throughout the day.&nbsp;it can be hard to commit to actively working on a spiritual practice, but the days when you resist these things are often the days you need them the most.&nbsp;</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-e8u-Ebf14nE/WKKb1fHARzI/AAAAAAAAEM4/h84uRYimosgkcjcLZpS2QnRchdmFajYdACLcB/s1600/meditation.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-e8u-Ebf14nE/WKKb1fHARzI/AAAAAAAAEM4/h84uRYimosgkcjcLZpS2QnRchdmFajYdACLcB/s1600/meditation.jpg" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">it appears that meditation has become somewhat of a 'trendy' thing to do in recent times. while some trends, particularly on social media, i lack understanding of the interest behind them, meditation i can clearly see the reasons for its rising popularity. i'm sure you've all come across pages or posts on the benefits of meditation, but if for some reason you haven't, i'm going to talk about them for a little while. people have been meditating for thousands of years, so while the practice isn't new, science is only recently catching up to all of its benefits. there are over 3000 scientific studies on the benefits of meditation, with these including improved concentration, less stress, better immune system, improved sleep, less depression and anxiety, higher self esteem, more resilience, increased mental strength and memory, better problem solving and creative thinking, reduced blood pressure, improved cardiovascular health, delayed ageing, etc etc. it seems too good to be true that simply taking time to stop and focus on breathing can yield such a huge range of positive effects, hey? if you've tried meditation before, however, you'd be aware that it often isn't the easiest thing to do. most times, in fact, it's pretty frickin difficult. i really struggle with it, but i strongly, strongly believe that if you stick to it, its one of the best things you can do for yourself. i've found that the easiest way to include it in my day is doing it first thing when i wake up in the morning. until i improve at it, i also find using an app or guided meditation works best for me (i use either 'breathe' or 'headspace').</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AKMyeaYSPZk/WKQUOk1UgNI/AAAAAAAAENQ/8d-mIj8j2uA57TWY2oFu2JjIJ4q2-Fb4gCLcB/s1600/yoga.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AKMyeaYSPZk/WKQUOk1UgNI/AAAAAAAAENQ/8d-mIj8j2uA57TWY2oFu2JjIJ4q2-Fb4gCLcB/s1600/yoga.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">much like meditation,&nbsp;yoga has similarly become a 'social media trend', but again, is an ancient practice boosting a huge range of benefits, both mentally and physically.&nbsp;</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">yoga is a&nbsp;holistic approach to&nbsp;achieving&nbsp;physical, mental and spiritual wellbeing.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">&nbsp;regular yoga practice can reduce stress and anxiety, improve flexibility, build muscle&nbsp;strength, improve posture and bone health, increase blood flow, boost your immune system, improve balance and focus, release tension in muscles, help you sleep, ease pain, support connective tissue, and more!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">a few years ago when i discovered yoga and my enjoyment for it, i practiced almost every day for months, and&nbsp;subsequently felt probably the best i ever have. since that phase/obsession, i've gone through times of both regular practice and completely neglecting my yoga mat, but each time i return i still love it just as much. if you're new to yoga i highly&nbsp;recommend checking out 'yoga with adriene' on youtube - that gal is my yoga love. she has a '30 day yoga camp' and '31 days of yoga revolution', which are both awesome playlists of daily yoga videos. crazy yoga poses can make it appear daunting, but there are heaps of beginner flows to help ease you into it. when i first started doing yoga i could barely touch my toes, and just a few months later i could do the splits. its empowering and motivating to see the improvement in your physical and mental health.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ANRibEcVwP4/WKKb1U3EumI/AAAAAAAAEMw/xDcwcUABREwLn7PwfkKmDsgvIFGFwfkQwCLcB/s1600/essential%2Boils.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ANRibEcVwP4/WKKb1U3EumI/AAAAAAAAEMw/xDcwcUABREwLn7PwfkKmDsgvIFGFwfkQwCLcB/s1600/essential%2Boils.jpg" /></span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">essential oils and aromatherapy have been used for over 5000 years, among cultures around the world. aromatherapy uses essential oils extracted from a range of flowers, seeds, barks, herbs and roots. aromatic essential oils can be used for reducing stress, improving sleep, helping headaches, strengthening the immune system, pain management and dealing with symptoms of depression/anxiety. the combination of different essential oils can create a more powerful effect than that of which the oils would have on their own, so finding pre-blended mixes is an easy introduction to aromatherapy.&nbsp;</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">my favourite way to reap the benefits of aromatherapy is by using <i><a href="http://combardis.com.au/">combardis elixirs</a></i>. as well as having incredible scents, the combardis elixirs all have the loveliest positive affirmations on the back of each different mist. to uplift your mind, body and spirit, combardis suggests spraying the mist gently over the crown of your head while breathing in the scent deeply and repeating the affirmation. i talk about the concept of positive affirmations more later in this post, but the combination of the essential oil benefits and positive affirmations make for a super feel-good daily ritual. i currently rotate between the 'free the spirit', 'abundant life' and 'highest potential' aromatic mists by combardis, spraying them on my pillow at night, yoga mat in the morning and throughout the day whenever i feel in need of a pick-me-up or help refocusing. i often carry one of them with me in my car or purse to use when i'm feeling unbalanced or uncentered. i've mentioned quite a bit that i struggle with anxiety, and i've noticed that using aromatic mists and essential oils can really help.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ANRibEcVwP4/WKKb1U3EumI/AAAAAAAAEMw/xDcwcUABREwLn7PwfkKmDsgvIFGFwfkQwCLcB/s1600/essential%2Boils.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-O7fL-zL6CII/WJgbNfZ8uxI/AAAAAAAAEIM/frvxEvOCVh4Gh9CR9fCHKzh3B0d-8JNLgCEw/s1600/3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><img border="0" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-O7fL-zL6CII/WJgbNfZ8uxI/AAAAAAAAEIM/frvxEvOCVh4Gh9CR9fCHKzh3B0d-8JNLgCEw/s1600/3.jpg" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>free the spirit -</b> lemongrass, bergamot, cedar wood, ylang ylang / <i>'i am free to be me.'</i></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>highest potential - </b>sweet orange, lime, geranium, patchouli, ylang ylang, rose otto / <i>'i am inspired to be the best version of me.'</i></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>abundant life -<i>&nbsp;</i></b>orange, frankincense, patchouli, clove bud, ginger root, myrrh, cinnamon, spruce / <i>'my grateful heart is a magnet for all that i desire.'</i></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Jt9ISkuxLxc/WJgblvBo3lI/AAAAAAAAEIE/a9es6aq4cYkr3LHw4YsJoaBGzAZuT3DuwCEw/s1600/4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Jt9ISkuxLxc/WJgblvBo3lI/AAAAAAAAEIE/a9es6aq4cYkr3LHw4YsJoaBGzAZuT3DuwCEw/s1600/4.jpg" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OpNGAvw57vA/WJgbryZEJtI/AAAAAAAAEII/-l8saXhDhDoIMpXTpNM9NVj6CGlX1Nv4wCEw/s1600/5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OpNGAvw57vA/WJgbryZEJtI/AAAAAAAAEII/-l8saXhDhDoIMpXTpNM9NVj6CGlX1Nv4wCEw/s1600/5.jpg" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-w8OjKvboyvI/WKKb0_JnZqI/AAAAAAAAEMo/wkKBzRdRclA-FcVmGBXhPkCkH3nzi0X1gCLcB/s1600/deep%2Bbreathing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-w8OjKvboyvI/WKKb0_JnZqI/AAAAAAAAEMo/wkKBzRdRclA-FcVmGBXhPkCkH3nzi0X1gCLcB/s1600/deep%2Bbreathing.jpg" /></span></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">when we breathe deeply, from our stomach rather than shallow chest breaths, we slow down the 'fight or flight' response, which most modern society people live in a constant state of.&nbsp;</span><span style="font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif;">taking conscious, deep breaths daily slows down the nervous system and lessens tension within the body, as well as giving&nbsp;</span><span style="font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif;">the body a chance to rest and heal.&nbsp;</span><span style="font-family: georgia, times new roman, serif;">your body is also designed to release a large percentage of it's toxins through breathing. if you're not breathing deeply, you are therefore not properly ridding your body of those toxins. regular deep breathing is something i really struggle with (#justanxietythings), and am really trying to work at. in most situations i notice a huge,&nbsp;huge difference after taking a few deep breaths when i'm feeling stressed or anxious. i find that reaching for one of the previously mentioned <i><a href="http://combardis.com.au/">combardis</a></i> essential oil mists and spraying that then taking 5-10 deep breaths helps me the most.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3RgTFJrtEw0/WKKb1G65NjI/AAAAAAAAEMs/eRnrqvUncjkLtW1lJJATHg6AT9tnPzCRwCLcB/s1600/creative%2Bpractice.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3RgTFJrtEw0/WKKb1G65NjI/AAAAAAAAEMs/eRnrqvUncjkLtW1lJJATHg6AT9tnPzCRwCLcB/s1600/creative%2Bpractice.jpg" /></span></a><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">if you're a creative person and don't regularly carve out time dedicated to your creative practice, you're ignoring your soul's callings and thus making your spirit suffer. therefore, devoting time to your creative practice is an extension upon your spiritual practice. painting, writing, photography - whatever your thing is, for the sake of your spiritual wellbeing and happiness, do that thing as often as you can. </span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rZ-DpQHqV5g/WKKb00ZfTWI/AAAAAAAAEMk/8YDaDLlljUQsyUTwZaGJCbBjsZGtJCApQCLcB/s1600/crystals.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rZ-DpQHqV5g/WKKb00ZfTWI/AAAAAAAAEMk/8YDaDLlljUQsyUTwZaGJCbBjsZGtJCApQCLcB/s1600/crystals.jpg" /></a><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">crystals have been used for&nbsp;centuries to heal, by healers and individuals. it is said that having a crystal within your electromagnetic field raises your vibrational level, by refracting and reflecting light into your auric field. crystals&nbsp;</span></span>are believed to vibrate at the same pitch as humans, which means they can have positive reactions in the mind and body.&nbsp;</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">crystals can be used during meditation, carried around with you or just sat in spaces you're often found in. you can choose crystals based on chakras, zodiac signs, the meaning or healing properties you desire, by feeling or sensing which you gravitate towards, or just whichever you find prettiest.&nbsp;</span><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">i usually have a crystal near me most of the time - there's one sitting in my car, in my bag, on my desk, next to my bed and around my wrist. i find it really calming and grounding to hold a crystal in my hand in stressful situations. other than my little piece of rainbow moonstone, i'm yet to find a decent chunk or piece of&nbsp;jewellery with one in it, but moonstone has always been the crystal i have been most drawn to. it's my birth stone, and is a crystal with calming, stress relief, love and goddess energies and qualities.</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_99tSwCYHMU/WKEV4ltbilI/AAAAAAAAEKs/gvoO5hxXWtMw7MjAqsbecWhGis37XpoPQCLcB/s1600/crystal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_99tSwCYHMU/WKEV4ltbilI/AAAAAAAAEKs/gvoO5hxXWtMw7MjAqsbecWhGis37XpoPQCLcB/s1600/crystal.jpg" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-T8cW_J20p20/WJqAPAvnT0I/AAAAAAAAEKM/eDu5EQ7bCk0PQxRfdxyYMgKCkGAiLdFrACLcB/s1600/journalling.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IpRbPTxuQxo/WKKb1cE7vkI/AAAAAAAAEM0/cha37t_cGDQ9GO3Kw5Is0OJpBpGNNSVnQCLcB/s1600/journalling.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IpRbPTxuQxo/WKKb1cE7vkI/AAAAAAAAEM0/cha37t_cGDQ9GO3Kw5Is0OJpBpGNNSVnQCLcB/s1600/journalling.jpg" /></span></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">journalling can act as a tool in one's&nbsp;spiritual practice due to it's ability to cause reflection and exploration. not only does journalling capture moments and thoughts, it also leads to insight and a deeper understanding of yourself, others and situations. exploring thoughts via writing engages with your inner self, that often largely goes unnoticed or ignored. writing and journalling can also act as a form of meditation.&nbsp;</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">i've always struggled with maintaining a schedule of journalling that i stick to, but i find that when i do take the time to sit down with a pen and notebook, i often leave with either new insight into myself or a situation, or at least a feeling of calmness. the act of daily or weekly journalling is a commitment to self exploration and growth. as a lover of writing, a personal goal of mine is to really make the effort to regularly include journalling into my spiritual practice.</span></span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"></span></span><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OTMZjreV62g/WKKb183l2uI/AAAAAAAAENA/qhXq6SAyADACTPFWcsU2ES4ss_lASBANQCLcB/s1600/positive%2Baffirmations.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OTMZjreV62g/WKKb183l2uI/AAAAAAAAENA/qhXq6SAyADACTPFWcsU2ES4ss_lASBANQCLcB/s1600/positive%2Baffirmations.jpg" /></span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">positive affirmations are short, positive statements either thought mentally or expressed verbally to oneself. they are the act of consciously choosing and using a new thought pattern, shifting from negative to positive thoughts in specific situations and in life in general. positive affirmations can help with reprogramming thought patterns, manifesting, achieving a state of gratitude in day-to-day life, focusing on goals, getting rid of negative thoughts and training the subconscious mind. there is nothing productive found in negative thinking. deliberately refining your thought patterns through the use of positive a</span>ffirmations is empowering and motivating. the simple act of replacing, for example, "i can't do this" with "i can do this" is the first step to achieving goals and an overall more positive mindset. positive affirmations can be an included element of your morning routine, or used when required in situations. some of my personal favourite affirmations to think or repeat to myself are: "the universe supports me and has my back", "everything happens for a reason", "i accept what i cannot change, and strive to work on what i can", "all that i need will come to me at the right time", "i am capable and worthy of unconditional love".</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RN68d2e6Tcs/WKKaU1YrczI/AAAAAAAAEMU/XI39l9w7Qh8rB9pL2Pg4bEXlHJn058hCQCLcB/s1600/Untitled-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RN68d2e6Tcs/WKKaU1YrczI/AAAAAAAAEMU/XI39l9w7Qh8rB9pL2Pg4bEXlHJn058hCQCLcB/s1600/Untitled-2.jpg" /></span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"></span><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">solitude is something i have grown to have a strange love/hate relationship with. being the introvert i am, when it comes to the large majority of social interactions, i would often far prefer to be alone. on the other hand, however, solitude can also often lead to me feeling anxious and overwhelmed, craving quiet, gentle forms of socialising, particularly time spent with my boyfriend. despite these feelings of discomfort, spending time alone is&nbsp;<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 19px;">undeniably crucial in both self growth and relationships with others.</span></span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 19px;">when we constantly fill our daily lives with the external, be it social interactions or social media,&nbsp;</span></span><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">we often avoid going deeper within ourselves.&nbsp;</span><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">solitude allows for the time and space for self discovery, reflection and growth.&nbsp;</span><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">it becomes very difficult to tend to and grow our spiritual self when constantly surrounded by other people. spending time alone also&nbsp;</span><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">enhances,&nbsp;</span><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">and is often essential for creativity. to devote time to any of these previously mentioned rituals and create a daily spiritual practice that leads to positive results, solitude is of utmost importance.</span></span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">i hope this post inspires you in any way that you may need it. if you're feeling down or in a bit of a rut, i strongly suggest taking the time to carve out a daily spiritual practice that suits you. you'll reap the benefits, i promise.</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">with love,</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">A xx</span><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/arainatasmin/" style="color: #444444; line-height: 18px; text-decoration: none;">instagram</a><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;">&nbsp;//&nbsp;</span><a href="http://misste.tumblr.com/" style="color: #444444; line-height: 18px; text-decoration: none;">tumblr</a><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;">&nbsp;// email: araina.tasmin@hotmail.com</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span> </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YvJNPhHLBwA/WJp5XoN0X-I/AAAAAAAAEJc/C5r6UMB3CGkTeHC-pQLiTRmdkvcuUQBzgCLcB/s1600/flower.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YvJNPhHLBwA/WJp5XoN0X-I/AAAAAAAAEJc/C5r6UMB3CGkTeHC-pQLiTRmdkvcuUQBzgCLcB/s1600/flower.jpg" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"></span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">let me know in the comments below how you tend to your spirit/soul or ground yourself when you're feeling scattered or uncentered.</span>Araina Tasminhttps://plus.google.com/110751639591295983392noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8155972298852703610.post-28626756988530113052017-02-06T20:45:00.002+11:002017-02-06T20:45:18.424+11:00BLUE JEAN BABY<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AJAymPZCNFU/WJgffNDWBNI/AAAAAAAAEIc/GLK1sBW4Lv0URbam1kkex-0I3LGXXUIQgCLcB/s1600/Untitled-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AJAymPZCNFU/WJgffNDWBNI/AAAAAAAAEIc/GLK1sBW4Lv0URbam1kkex-0I3LGXXUIQgCLcB/s1600/Untitled-2.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-H419lESq2WQ/WJgfhaxF_RI/AAAAAAAAEIk/8nNFvUQPlboNQQmIXZ1bKyu78SJCk3UTgCLcB/s1600/Untitled-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-H419lESq2WQ/WJgfhaxF_RI/AAAAAAAAEIk/8nNFvUQPlboNQQmIXZ1bKyu78SJCk3UTgCLcB/s1600/Untitled-1.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5Ao5OThlc2Y/WJgoc0aT-RI/AAAAAAAAEI8/PwIrLuD4HugRzEHu6NZ-LhJNk9B-dXgeQCLcB/s1600/Untitled-6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5Ao5OThlc2Y/WJgoc0aT-RI/AAAAAAAAEI8/PwIrLuD4HugRzEHu6NZ-LhJNk9B-dXgeQCLcB/s1600/Untitled-6.jpg" /></a></div><br />just a quick little post featuring one of my favourite tops - i scored this brand new 'keepsake the label intimates' cami from a clothes market for $10 down from $90. lace, interesting back detailing AND a perfect low-but-not-too-low neckline... what more could this gal possibly ask for in a top? i also threw on my trusty hand-me-down levi's and my new shoe loves - these classic slightly-heeled black boots that i totally claimed from my mother's wardrobe.<br /><br />i start my new course next week, which i don't think i've mentioned on here yet. its a brand new six month course being offered by a little trendy local design school. two and a half days a week for the six months i'll be learning about a range of creative areas, including photography, graphic design and creative writing, which is all completely down my alley. i'm nervous (as i am with most things) but very excited to begin this next phase of my life. i'm sure this learning adventure will bring about heaps of exciting new content, so stay tuned! i'm currently working on a post i'm stoked to be able to share with you very soon. i've been collaborating with two brands in the past few weeks, which is a dream come true and further motivation to continue working on and pouring myself into this little creative outlet.<br /><br />with love and light,<br />A xx<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Texq1C2KVaE/WJhECG26VEI/AAAAAAAAEJM/2ttFtBke8O8-4RfYBrvir8EoE0uhi_F5wCLcB/s1600/flower.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Texq1C2KVaE/WJhECG26VEI/AAAAAAAAEJM/2ttFtBke8O8-4RfYBrvir8EoE0uhi_F5wCLcB/s1600/flower.jpg" /></a></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://www.instagram.com/arainatasmin/" style="color: #444444; font-family: georgia; line-height: 18px; text-decoration: none;">instagram</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia; line-height: 18px;">&nbsp;//&nbsp;</span><a href="http://misste.tumblr.com/" style="color: #444444; font-family: georgia; line-height: 18px; text-decoration: none;">tumblr</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia; line-height: 18px;">&nbsp;// email: araina.tasmin@hotmail.com</span>Araina Tasminhttps://plus.google.com/110751639591295983392noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8155972298852703610.post-11171447672585849252017-01-21T09:18:00.001+11:002017-12-01T12:15:12.429+11:00REFLECTIONS OF A SOCIAL MEDIA-FREE WEEK<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZZKQfGqGEw8/WiCtAcoa0HI/AAAAAAAAEqY/7t54XsfOD7cYeZ510CBsEbt36lKUsyGeQCLcBGAs/s1600/DSC_6570.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZZKQfGqGEw8/WiCtAcoa0HI/AAAAAAAAEqY/7t54XsfOD7cYeZ510CBsEbt36lKUsyGeQCLcBGAs/s1600/DSC_6570.jpg" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot;;">the past few weeks i've been feeling kinda icky, and while my mental state often fluctuates, this time i wanted to try and do something to actively improve it. my attempted solution? to swear off social media for the length of&nbsp;</span><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot;;">last week. a seven-day social media 'cleanse', if you will.</span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot;;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot;;">now i understand how this could seem like a strange fix to my latest mental health crisis, so i guess maybe a little back story may be helpful...&nbsp;</span><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot;;">the real issue that brought upon this desire to get off social media, and maybe partially explained my icky-ness, was how absent i was feeling. i came to realise that i was rarely completely present in moments, and this was causing a lot of my anxiety and negative feelings/thoughts. i think a lot of us tend to use&nbsp;social media as a distraction - a distraction from reality and from our inner self. while sometimes a distraction can be necessary and beneficial, on the other hand, using social media can often distract us from getting in touch with and exploring&nbsp;deeper within ourselves. for me, and i'm sure others, social media also often acts as a tool to encourage procrastination.&nbsp;</span><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot;;">i regularly find it difficult to focus on one task at a time - for example, whilst writing this blog post a few times i've</span><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot;;">&nbsp;mindlessly clicked between different social media websites and&nbsp;checked my phone, without even really consciously thinking about doing it. for many, social media has brought up this habit of feeling the need to constantly be 'in the loop' and updated.</span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot;;"><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot;;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot;;">while this desire or 'challenge' to get off social media for a while was predominately to see if it would affect my headspace in a positive way, i also wanted to try and use this time to create better habits in my life in general. one aspect i wanted to change was the way in which i started my day.&nbsp;</span><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot;;">for a very long period of time, my morning routine was to wake up, roll over, and proceed to check every form of social media app, before i had really even taken a proper breath or fully opened my eyes. no wonder i was feeling disconnected and absent - i started every day immediately with external stimuli, when i really needed to tap into and deal with the internal stuff to set my day up for feeling good.</span></span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot;;"><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot;;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot;;">so my mission for the week was : no use of social media (excluding facebook messenger to make plans and youtube to watch educational videos only), to meditate every morning as soon as i woke up then follow that with yoga, and to educate myself instead of distract myself through the media i was consuming.</span></span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot;;"><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot;;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot;;">and&nbsp;<span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot;;">what happened when i got off social media for a week? the world didn't end, i didn't suddenly become the equivalent of a monk living on a mountain, and i didn't miss out on anything groundbreaking.&nbsp;</span></span></span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot;;"><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot;;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot;;">what DID happen was...</span></span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot;;"><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot;;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot;;">:&nbsp;<b>i created a&nbsp;</b></span><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot;;"><b>daily morning routine that actually set me up for a good day</b><i>.</i>&nbsp;every morning i meditated, starting with 5 minutes and worked my way up to 15 minutes, followed by a yoga video from yogawithadriene's revolution 31 days of yoga, and then i ate a nutritious breakfast outside in the sun. just a simple routine like that made me feel so positive most mornings, and inspired me to be productive for the rest of the day.</span></span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot;;"><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot;;">:&nbsp;<b>i connected more with my inner self</b>. i think this was partially also to do with reading the book&nbsp;<i>light is the new black</i>&nbsp;at the start of my social media free week. throughout the week i really began to notice i was becoming more connected with my inner self. for me that meant really checking in and listening to my true inner thoughts and trusting my intuition or instincts. i thought much deeper into things than i had in a while, which i think, hopefully, will lead to positive changes in my life.&nbsp;</span><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot;;">i also started paying much&nbsp;more attention to the way in which things were&nbsp;impacting my energy, which is such an&nbsp;important skill to have.</span></span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot;;"><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot;;">:&nbsp;</span><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot;;"><b>i became more present</b>. as mentioned earlier, this was one of the main goals i hoped to achieve throughout the week. i found that not constantly scrolling through photos or having the urge to check my phone meant that i did feel much more present in moments. take away that distraction and you're left far more emerged in reality.</span></span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot;;">:&nbsp;<b>i learnt how to be bored</b>&nbsp;and what to do with that feeling. when you have social media, the second you potentially might feel bored, a swipe on your phone and you have a whole world of entertainment at your fingers. i think this reliance has led to a lot of us not truly experiencing the feeling of boredom ever anymore. without this option of entertainment, i had to sit with myself when i felt bored and consciously come up with something that didn't include vegging out on my phone. for me that was most often picking up a book, doing yoga or going outside, which were all far more positive options for my wellbeing and happiness.</span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot;;">:&nbsp;<b>i read more books</b>&nbsp;than i had in weeks. i finished a new book (previously mentioned&nbsp;<i>light is the new black</i>&nbsp;- which is soo good btw) in two days, which a few years ago would've been normal, but could now be considered a record in recent years. i also got a fair way through another book as well. unfortunately reading has been something i've neglected quite a bit over the past few years, even though its something i've always deeply loved, so getting back into that (even if only out of boredom) was a super nice thing for me.</span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot;;"><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot;;">:&nbsp;</span><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot;;"><b>i started to crave educating myself</b>. throughout the week&nbsp;</span><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot;;">i&nbsp;</span><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot;;">watched countless ted talks and documentaries.&nbsp;again, mostly initially due to boredom, i began to seek out 'real media' to consume, and&nbsp;consequently, fell back in love with learning. having finished with school last year, my education is now&nbsp;completely in my own hands, and this social media free week really instilled in me how important and enjoyable learning can be.</span></span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot;;">:&nbsp;<b>i spent more time with my family</b>. instead of eating lunch by myself or going straight into my room after dinner, i watched documentaries with them. not only was this a positive form of media and learning for both me and my family, but it was also nice to just be with them and not isolate myself to the digital world.</span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot;;">:&nbsp;<b>i connected with people more</b>. or, at least, i really tried to make the effort to. instead of not fully being in conversations, as we all can sometimes be, i consciously tried to&nbsp;truly listen to people and what they were saying. i think in a lot of situations the quote "people don't listen, they just wait for their turn to talk" can ring true. being hooked in social media and the constant fast-pace social updates, i know i find that i'm often not fully present in&nbsp;conversations, which i'm sure can lead to feelings of disconnectedness.</span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot;;"><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot;;">:&nbsp;<b>i did things i love</b>. as well as getting back into reading and yoga,&nbsp;</span><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot;;">i updated my blog, which you may have noticed, and decided to really start using this outlet more. i enjoyed making visual creative changes to this blog and writing/creating my last few posts so so much. my social media&nbsp;free week really helped me get in touch with what i love and want to do.&nbsp;</span></span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot;;">:&nbsp;<b>my self esteem improved</b>. i wouldn't say that i'm the type of person that often compares myself&nbsp;physically to others, but i think when we scroll through so many 'perfected' moments and photos, it must&nbsp;subconsciously affect us and our opinion of ourselves in comparison to others. i'm sure i wasn't imagining that not looking at images of unrealistic&nbsp;appearances made me feel better about myself.</span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot;;"><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot;;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot;;">thats a lot of good stuff starting to happen in just a week hey. and while this post has been on the topic of getting off social media, i think some of the positive change has to be attributed to more just the time i took and effort i put into the other things and developing those positive changes. just deleting your social media apps alone isn't going to produce huge positive results, but it can sure help.</span></span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot;;"><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot;;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot;;">as i write this post a few days after my social media-free week, i'm not going to lie and pretend i haven't often become stuck back in my mindless clicking between apps. i have, however, become far more mindful at realising when that mindless clicking instinct is&nbsp;occurring, and trying to limit it and choose something productive to do instead. as soon as i downloaded the apps back, i also went through instagram and unfollowed hundreds and hundreds of accounts. this means that my feed is now far smaller, and of content that is inspiring and motivating. i'm still reading and i've managed to keep my morning yoga routine every day, and meditation when waking up most days. i'm also doing a much better job at focusing on one thing at a time - i've almost finished writing this blog post with far less clicks to social media apps than would have occurred before, so heck yeah for that!</span></span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot;;"><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot;;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot;;">so while this week-long cleanse didn't&nbsp;necessarily result in me forever swearing off social media, i did&nbsp;begin to learn how to better use those apps and my time, as well as getting more in touch with my inner self. honestly, i think i might have a repeat of this week very soon - i'm sick of social media again already and am not done with this learning and bettering of myself.</span></span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot;;"><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot;;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot;;">i hope this post maybe inspires you to have a think about the way you are currently using social media and if that is acting in a positive or negative way towards your mindset and life. i really encourage taking a break and switching off for a while. i promise your social life will still continue and you won't become completely disconnected from the world (you probably won't miss scrolling through all those bikini photos either).&nbsp;</span>i don't think social media is an inherently awful thing, it all comes down to how you use it.&nbsp;<span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot;;">use it to build yourself up, learn, and make meaningful connections, don't use it to distract and numb yourself.</span></span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot;;"><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot;;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot;;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot;;">A xx</span></span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot;;"><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot;;"><br /></span><a href="https://www.instagram.com/arainatasmin/" style="color: #444444; line-height: 18px; text-decoration: none;">instagram</a><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;">&nbsp;//&nbsp;</span><a href="http://misste.tumblr.com/" style="color: #444444; line-height: 18px; text-decoration: none;">tumblr</a><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;">&nbsp;// email: araina.tasmin@hotmail.com</span></span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot;;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span> </span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-32IuUSEwXyw/WH2hGLVSJpI/AAAAAAAAEFM/k2AgymZVBHERiVA6GYFTMmtKZdeQwbDZwCLcB/s1600/flower.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot;;"><img border="0" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-32IuUSEwXyw/WH2hGLVSJpI/AAAAAAAAEFM/k2AgymZVBHERiVA6GYFTMmtKZdeQwbDZwCLcB/s1600/flower.jpg" /></span></a></div><div><br /></div>Araina Tasminhttps://plus.google.com/110751639591295983392noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8155972298852703610.post-71260535368897686272017-01-15T18:42:00.000+11:002017-01-15T18:42:02.128+11:00PINK MATTER<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PyWnihmrlXo/WHq49_iKJiI/AAAAAAAAED8/utksf7bZoEcQ9cH2XST800JPcy-McQFogCEw/s1600/Untitled-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PyWnihmrlXo/WHq49_iKJiI/AAAAAAAAED8/utksf7bZoEcQ9cH2XST800JPcy-McQFogCEw/s1600/Untitled-1.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nhSN7FdMdT0/WHq4u6L0dZI/AAAAAAAAED4/-i1_3-zLbhE67CVxni7ev6dOYD9MZ5IHgCEw/s1600/DSC_6711.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nhSN7FdMdT0/WHq4u6L0dZI/AAAAAAAAED4/-i1_3-zLbhE67CVxni7ev6dOYD9MZ5IHgCEw/s1600/DSC_6711.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-upAbLCbET8w/WHq42suJ4ZI/AAAAAAAAED4/3_nH-9Mn9b0P5c8S9QGYEHqEryLfmbcDQCEw/s1600/Untitled-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-upAbLCbET8w/WHq42suJ4ZI/AAAAAAAAED4/3_nH-9Mn9b0P5c8S9QGYEHqEryLfmbcDQCEw/s1600/Untitled-2.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3s8N-kzmDZM/WHq-vfYbRII/AAAAAAAAEEI/vhdC5HM_WykDYOOydFCSUwp6rL6IDdSbQCLcB/s1600/DSC_6730.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3s8N-kzmDZM/WHq-vfYbRII/AAAAAAAAEEI/vhdC5HM_WykDYOOydFCSUwp6rL6IDdSbQCLcB/s1600/DSC_6730.jpg" /></a><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-08N5dbEwqpA/WHq5PYtKjHI/AAAAAAAAED8/BE1z5d7u4z8Yf7M8tDuQLu_QXNc1PzdygCEw/s1600/Untitled-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-08N5dbEwqpA/WHq5PYtKjHI/AAAAAAAAED8/BE1z5d7u4z8Yf7M8tDuQLu_QXNc1PzdygCEw/s1600/Untitled-3.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bIg6Ks-4z6k/WHrEXC00VhI/AAAAAAAAEE0/whJqQi4bnHUgIQTQpNn59tog5kmW-ElagCLcB/s1600/Untitled-6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bIg6Ks-4z6k/WHrEXC00VhI/AAAAAAAAEE0/whJqQi4bnHUgIQTQpNn59tog5kmW-ElagCLcB/s1600/Untitled-6.jpg" /></a></div><br />{ sportsgirl skirt, top &amp; choker, dr martens boots, meteorite necklace from my boy }<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br /><br />you haven't seen a post of this style from me in quite a while hey! what can i say, i had a strange craving to take and edit outfit photos. in the past i've thought of my love for clothing as shallow, but fashion is an art form and i really dig it at times. does that mean you can maybe expect more posts like this? i'm not entirely sure, but it's probably likely.<br /><br />i've really been enjoying exploring my style as of lately. i mean, a few months ago i wouldn't be caught dead wearing a skirt or dress <i>*gasp* below the knee, </i>but now its all i want to wear. a lot of my growth in terms of style definitely occurred when i moved schools two years ago. i remember back to such a dumb phase in my early teen years, when i'd be terrified to even wear a dress on a 'free-dress day' at school, for fear of standing out in the sea of jeans. this phase of thoughts really trapped me for a long time, and its completely liberating to now be able to wear pretty much whatever the heck i want, without any feelings of fear or potential judgement. hell yeah to freedom in the form of long skirts and pink everything.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />i have to run - its sunday night, which means time to water my growing jungle of plants, before i head off to my boyfriend's house for a vegetarian indian feast (um, yum).<br /><br />A xx<br /><br /><a href="https://www.instagram.com/arainatasmin/" style="color: #444444; font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif; line-height: 18px; text-decoration: none;">instagram</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif; line-height: 18px;">&nbsp;//&nbsp;</span><a href="http://misste.tumblr.com/" style="color: #444444; font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif; line-height: 18px; text-decoration: none;">tumblr</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif; line-height: 18px;">&nbsp;// email: araina.tasmin@hotmail.com</span>Araina Tasminhttps://plus.google.com/110751639591295983392noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8155972298852703610.post-78813748776470923002017-01-13T18:44:00.001+11:002017-01-15T18:43:11.847+11:00SIX MUST-WATCH DOCUMENTARIES<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">hi i'm araina and i'm obsessed with documentaries.&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">documentaries have helped, and continue to help, shape some of my core beliefs and passions. i don't think there is anything more powerful than having the ability to constantly educate yourself. documentaries are such a simple and interesting way to learn about a huge multitude of issues and subjects.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">below are just a few documentaries that i personally believe to be of utmost importance and/or interest.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-k-FFERkzAbE/WHRefpyHK6I/AAAAAAAAD_0/UfaUOyBsn3IiAFYpFVUJcOhnhTAz3NqrgCLcB/s1600/minimalism.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-k-FFERkzAbE/WHRefpyHK6I/AAAAAAAAD_0/UfaUOyBsn3IiAFYpFVUJcOhnhTAz3NqrgCLcB/s1600/minimalism.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">i stumbled across this documentary on netflix the other day and knew i had to watch it. i had skimmed articles and watched a youtube video or two on the idea of minimalism, but nothing had really fully grabbed my attention or interest. this documentary however, had me sitting in my seat hugely questioning the part of my life and "identity" to do with material possessions. the documentary explores the "trend" of minimalism in a highly thought-provoking, captivating and powerful way.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">while this documentary didn't cause me to instantly sign my life over to complete minimalism, and maybe i won't ever do that, it did motivate me to go through my wardrobe and remove 3 bags of unwanted clothing, as well as get rid of old skincare/beauty products, both of which i was meaninglessly holding onto and allowing to clutter my life.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><u><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Co1Iptd4p4&amp;t=6s">here</a></u> is the trailer for the documentary. you can find the full version on netflix.&nbsp;<u><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w7rewjFNiys">this</a></u>&nbsp;is also a really good ted talk by the same guys who made and feature in the documentary.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_MA5aeZPDNc/WHRefnKO0iI/AAAAAAAAD_w/NasYI_5PwQsGheWHbsbgT_dZWwzRIi9_ACLcB/s1600/cowspiracy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_MA5aeZPDNc/WHRefnKO0iI/AAAAAAAAD_w/NasYI_5PwQsGheWHbsbgT_dZWwzRIi9_ACLcB/s1600/cowspiracy.jpg" /></a></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div></div>if you haven't yet seen or heard of cowspiracy (do you exist??), this documentary explores the impact of animal agriculture on the environment. along with exploring these effects, the documentary also investigates how environmental organisations are responding to this issue.<br /><br />cowspiracy is such an important and powerful look into how our food choices are affecting the planet, and for many it has acted as a necessary push towards a plant-based diet. we can't anymore keep making our daily decisions without considering the impact on the environment. there ain't no second planet once we destroy this one dudes.<br /><br /><u><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nV04zyfLyN4&amp;t=9s">here</a></u> is the trailer for this documentary, watch the full version on netflix.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uD_3TtIpvI4/WHRefBTDG9I/AAAAAAAAD_s/bCOOm3kh8r49c4IamvUfLFAeEnoemM14wCLcB/s1600/before%2Bthe%2Bflood.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uD_3TtIpvI4/WHRefBTDG9I/AAAAAAAAD_s/bCOOm3kh8r49c4IamvUfLFAeEnoemM14wCLcB/s1600/before%2Bthe%2Bflood.jpg" /></a></div><br />reason number one to watch before the flood: leonardo dicaprio. reason number two to watch before the flood: climate change is going to be the biggest issue our generation faces. (i may have potentially got the order of those reasons muddled up, but i'm not entirely convinced). seriously though, climate change is freakin' terrifying. it will impact so many aspects of the planet and our lives, and there is now no arguing against the science.<br /><br /><u><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D9xFFyUOpXo&amp;t=1s">here</a></u> is the trailer for this documentary, the full version is available to rent or buy online, or from potentially&nbsp;semi-dodgy websites.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RQjedAsxh8Q/WHRefoN-v_I/AAAAAAAAD_4/0dxaY41-Ud0DX1fANS6m9rJG7deoA2kMQCLcB/s1600/true%2Bcost.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RQjedAsxh8Q/WHRefoN-v_I/AAAAAAAAD_4/0dxaY41-Ud0DX1fANS6m9rJG7deoA2kMQCLcB/s1600/true%2Bcost.jpg" /></a></div><br />the true cost is a documentary that explores the impact of fashion and our clothing choices on people and the planet, specifically focusing on 'fast fashion'. through the different aspects of the clothing industry explored, the documentary forces us to consider who pays the price for our fashion choices in reality.<br /><br />i watched this documentary the other day and, god damn did it make me feel upset, overwhelmed and hopeless. while it definitely is a bleak issue, and will take a multifaceted approach to improving it, positive change can begin with the consumer, so education is of utmost importance. hopefully after watching this it will make you rethink the origin of your clothing and that $3 t-shirt.<br /><br /><u><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OaGp5_Sfbss&amp;t=29s">here</a></u> is the trailer for this documentary, the full version is available on netflix.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mEEUJL5K34s/WHRefG9UonI/AAAAAAAAD_k/VP0xeOTcLXshdlZ4VWaYmMWJ3eU1iG03ACLcB/s1600/best%2Bspeech.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mEEUJL5K34s/WHRefG9UonI/AAAAAAAAD_k/VP0xeOTcLXshdlZ4VWaYmMWJ3eU1iG03ACLcB/s1600/best%2Bspeech.jpg" /></a></div><br />"the best speech you will ever hear" is certainly a heavy claim to make for an hour long youtube video, but somehow gary yourofsky's speech on veganism pretty much lives up to that title (well, it did for me at least when i watched it 3 years ago and instantly decided to convert to veganism). this speech is one of the most comprehensive and honest talks on veganism. i think what makes it so successful is that, while only being around an hour long, this video covers almost every element of adapting to a vegan lifestyle and the reasons behind that choice.<br /><br />this may not necessarily be the best or most flashy vegan documentary now available, but it was singlehandedly the video that completely opened my eyes to this issue. some other documentaries on the topic of veganism include: food choices, 101 reasons to go vegan, forks over knives, earthlings (very graphic, i only lasted a few minutes), vegucated and food inc.<br /><br /><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=es6U00LMmC4&amp;t=580s" style="text-decoration: underline;">here</a>&nbsp;is the link to&nbsp;the full youtube version of gary yourofsky's "best speech you will ever hear".<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uK5D07LAWA4/WHRefK2ie0I/AAAAAAAAD_o/3_1XAt3T6zULWQ_N94KBgL3eu3reIK0ZQCLcB/s1600/blackfish.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uK5D07LAWA4/WHRefK2ie0I/AAAAAAAAD_o/3_1XAt3T6zULWQ_N94KBgL3eu3reIK0ZQCLcB/s1600/blackfish.jpg" /></a></div><br />honestly i put off watching blackfish for a long, long time. i have a deep connection with and love for the ocean and whales in particular. they're one of the most mesmerising and incredible species and just the thought of humans' actions towards them makes me feel utterly sick and devastated.<br /><br />especially with the recent update of this story, this documentary is pretty darn upsetting. i urge you to watch it anyway and don't freaking support seaworld and other sea parks.<br /><br /><u><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fLOeH-Oq_1Y&amp;t=21s">here</a></u> is the trailer for blackfish - the full version is available on netflix.<br /><br /><br />i strongly encourage you to watch all of these documentaries. expand your mind, educate yourself on the issues of the planet, find what you can do to help.<br /><br /><br />A xx<br /><br /><a href="https://www.instagram.com/arainatasmin/" style="color: #444444; font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif; line-height: 18px; text-decoration: none;">instagram</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif; line-height: 18px;">&nbsp;//&nbsp;</span><a href="http://misste.tumblr.com/" style="color: #444444; font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif; line-height: 18px; text-decoration: none;">tumblr</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif; line-height: 18px;">&nbsp;// email: araina.tasmin@hotmail.com</span><br /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NEseoEHT124/WHWip-5BZuI/AAAAAAAAEB0/IBJrDAEOZEQ-_0u2qvMn31wFww_B4SgZwCLcB/s1600/flower.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NEseoEHT124/WHWip-5BZuI/AAAAAAAAEB0/IBJrDAEOZEQ-_0u2qvMn31wFww_B4SgZwCLcB/s1600/flower.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />what are your must-watch documentaries or videos that have changed your life? please leave them in the comments below!Araina Tasminhttps://plus.google.com/110751639591295983392noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8155972298852703610.post-48919682616601092642016-12-01T13:14:00.005+11:002017-01-15T18:43:27.878+11:00NIPPLES, FLOWERS & THE WORLD ENDING<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Pzx_5S5Zf3E/WD025I1KOUI/AAAAAAAAD98/BiG-YrLZ_f8VbsvUiQ5M5NJ4wyM_FPhVgCEw/s1600/DSC_6230.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><img border="0" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Pzx_5S5Zf3E/WD025I1KOUI/AAAAAAAAD98/BiG-YrLZ_f8VbsvUiQ5M5NJ4wyM_FPhVgCEw/s1600/DSC_6230.jpg" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pYHqTo11vmE/WD03N_EHw0I/AAAAAAAAD9s/2GtIAZKr6gUdh7yPaS23ULZux_HO1NZYQCEw/s1600/DSC_6232.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><img border="0" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pYHqTo11vmE/WD03N_EHw0I/AAAAAAAAD9s/2GtIAZKr6gUdh7yPaS23ULZux_HO1NZYQCEw/s1600/DSC_6232.jpg" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-krRg-c24rTA/WD03G8j9bHI/AAAAAAAAD98/KlQoJMBRnusm2IPXr45A8VtU5pJV-CtCwCEw/s1600/DSC_6218.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><img border="0" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-krRg-c24rTA/WD03G8j9bHI/AAAAAAAAD98/KlQoJMBRnusm2IPXr45A8VtU5pJV-CtCwCEw/s1600/DSC_6218.jpg" /></span></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wpbY_ECMwhE/WD03dNVcflI/AAAAAAAAD90/z4p3Kc-mupARCHuk6tT1qq6VNaaZiCzywCEw/s1600/DSC_6235.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><img border="0" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wpbY_ECMwhE/WD03dNVcflI/AAAAAAAAD90/z4p3Kc-mupARCHuk6tT1qq6VNaaZiCzywCEw/s1600/DSC_6235.jpg" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">in the past couple of weeks, i haven't worn a bra in public on 6 different days, which is a total of 6 more days than in the last maybe 5 or 6 years. and guess what... despite what i perhaps thought may happen, i am still alive to tell that story. the lesson i have learnt is that <b><i>th</i></b><i><b>e world will not end if someone sees my nipples</b></i>. i know that this personal celebration for something that appears to be <i>not that big a deal</i>&nbsp;may seem silly and insignificant, but gosh darn i'm going to celebrate and talk about it anyway.</span></span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">with the growing "free the nipple" trend in recent years, for the past few months i've become increasingly interested in trialling ditching a bra for a day. too scared to do this completely on my own&nbsp;volition, one day at school a few weeks ago a backless jumper i wore called for one of those gross sticky bras, which then quickly became unstuck. i briefly panicked, then literally said "fuck it" and freed those nips. as dumb as it maybe sounds, i&nbsp;instantly felt liberated. that feeling continued throughout the whole day. based on that feeling and how much more fricken comfortable not wearing a bra is, by this time my own volition, i have continued to&nbsp;repeat this action on multiple occasions.</span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">i think sometimes the "free the nipple" trend can be seen as women trying to make a statement. and while, if that's the reason you want to do it and absolutely go right ahead, it wasn't for me. the few times so far i have gone braless in public have had nothing to do with making a statement, they have simply been due to the fact that personally i generally find bras super uncomfortable to wear. lets face it, most of the time wearing a bra is pretty uncomfortable,&nbsp;and with my limited boobs, for me they are also pretty unnecessary.</span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">i wasn't gifted in the boob department in the way of size, and this has always been a huge<i> </i>insecurity for me. growing up with the bombardment of media and often sexualised images of women, from the moment i developed breasts, i was convinced that bigger was better. bigger was sexier and what the males i would develop crushes on would desire. this&nbsp;completely&nbsp;toxic (and false) mindset resulted in me hating my boobs from day one. i have never been one for&nbsp;massive push-up bras or anything, but i would not be caught dead without a bra at least semi-padded, even in my own home for a long time. it has only been within the last few months that i've grown to not hate my boobs. though i'd love to say that this was completely due to my own self, the majority of it was a result of boob love and support from my wonderful understanding boy. nevertheless, i can now totally say i love my little ones. not wearing a bra is also me learning to&nbsp;further love them in&nbsp;their natural state.</span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">i think bras and the bra industry have&nbsp;completely warped our views surrounding what breasts are "supposed" to look like. when it comes to boobs, and bodies in general, there is no perfect or normal. yeah, without a bra, boobs usually tend to maybe hang slightly lower or be less even or round than&nbsp;they would in&nbsp;comparison to wearing a bra, but there is nothing "wrong" or gross or weird about this. from the&nbsp;beginning of time, breasts have been considered beautiful, based on their natural state and appearance. its only in recent decades that wearing a bra has given boobs the now "desired look".&nbsp;</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">there is also the issue of female nipples being completely sexualised. if you weren't already aware, i have some news for you; males have nipples too. isn't it funny how we all have nipples, but one gender's are inherently sexualised. i&nbsp;completely&nbsp;understand that cultures and society has led us to view women's bodies as more&nbsp;physically&nbsp;attractive&nbsp;and sexual by nature, but i just find it kind of strange that no one ever complains about perhaps seeing a male nipple, but seeing a female nipple is usually inappropriate, uncommon or "unnatural". </span></span><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">dude, nipples are cute as. i think that shit should be an accessory.</span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">i'm not in the position of swearing off bras completely or anything, but if there's a top or dress that doesn't absolutely&nbsp;<i>need</i>&nbsp;a bra, chances are i probably might not wear one anymore.</span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">so, free the nipple, or don't, i promise the world will not end either way.</span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="background-color: white;">A xx</span></span><br style="line-height: 18px;" /><span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span><a href="https://www.instagram.com/arainatasmin/" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">instagram</a>&nbsp;//&nbsp;<a href="http://misste.tumblr.com/" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">tumblr</a>&nbsp;// email: araina.tasmin@hotmail.com</span></span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><br /></span>Araina Tasminhttps://plus.google.com/110751639591295983392noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8155972298852703610.post-26188853088385564922016-11-29T13:58:00.001+11:002017-01-15T18:43:43.759+11:00MINIMISING WASTE - HACKS TO SAVE THE WORLD<span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">i've been lucky to have grown up in a well informed and conscious family, and&nbsp;from as early as i can remember, there have been discussions of environmental issues, with choices evaluated to create the minimum amount of harm to our precious planet. as a family we've always tried to reduce the waste we create by making simple changes and conscious decisions. the last few months i've personally been thinking a lot about the issue of minimising waste further. i was noticing pangs of guilt when i'd throw away huge amounts of plastic or witness others do the same. i came across a few&nbsp;videos on the 'zero waste' movement, and began brainstorming simple ways that i could be extra mindful of the waste i created.</span></span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">one of the most important thing we can do as individuals to reduce our environmental impact is minimise the waste we&nbsp;create. australia is one of the highest producers of waste in the world, recently ranked in the top five waste producing nations.&nbsp;like many other countries, australia has a strong&nbsp;dependence on landfill as the major form of waste management, with the majority of waste that is not&nbsp;recycled disposed of in landfills. landfills impact air, water and land quality, and produce gases, mainly methane, which&nbsp;contribute to the frightening problem of global warming. australia&nbsp;deposits upwards of 22 million tonnes of waste to landfills each year. quite frankly, this is disgusting and completely&nbsp;unnecessary. so many of us have the mindset of wanting&nbsp;continuous new&nbsp;<i>stuff</i>, and often don't think for even a second about everything we throw out and the consequences.</span></span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">below are a few simple changes we can make as individuals to&nbsp;lessen the environmental impact of our often inherently wasteful lifestyles.</span></span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><br /></span><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GzbX8pMMHmQ/WDzNncD0MZI/AAAAAAAAD84/270tpNdQjl82Ig7eZjvYD6iIIrvK3IRVACLcB/s1600/supermarket.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GzbX8pMMHmQ/WDzNncD0MZI/AAAAAAAAD84/270tpNdQjl82Ig7eZjvYD6iIIrvK3IRVACLcB/s1600/supermarket.jpg" /></span></a><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">it is estimated that over <i>1 trillion</i>&nbsp;plastic bags are used every year worldwide. while some supermarkets have opted for sturdier reusable or biodegradable plastic bags, most still do pack groceries in plastic. instead of contributing to that massive, growing number of plastic bags being used usually only once then thrown away, pick up a couple of reusable bags (plastic or cloth), and make an effort to bring them every time you do your shopping.</span></span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><br /></span><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4i0b1AUqvaU/WDzNn17MobI/AAAAAAAAD9E/vFw7bK6yibU9BoiqUrcwlE0wmEn1xBS7QCEw/s1600/water%2Bbottle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><img border="0" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4i0b1AUqvaU/WDzNn17MobI/AAAAAAAAD9E/vFw7bK6yibU9BoiqUrcwlE0wmEn1xBS7QCEw/s1600/water%2Bbottle.jpg" /></span></a><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">carry a reusable water bottle, preferably glass or metal rather than plastic, wherever you go. not only will this encourage you to drink more water, it will also not contribute to the large amount of plastic bottles of water thrown into landfill. opting for carrying your own water instead of purchasing it will also save money. if you're concerned for the water quality,&nbsp;water filters can often be found for quite cheap.</span></span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><br /></span><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/--WzxY5-xHB8/WDzNlwtvuLI/AAAAAAAAD8Y/cOI61uQpobg8-pLmO4ql-JlX3f3jvyZhwCEw/s1600/coffee%2Bcup.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><img border="0" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/--WzxY5-xHB8/WDzNlwtvuLI/AAAAAAAAD8Y/cOI61uQpobg8-pLmO4ql-JlX3f3jvyZhwCEw/s1600/coffee%2Bcup.jpg" /></span></a><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">it is estimated that <i>500 billion</i>&nbsp;disposable coffee cups are discarded to landfill every year. the majority of these disposable cups cannot be recycled, due to polyethylene linings which contaminate the recycling system. if you're one of those daily coffee drinkers, like i certainly used to be, and haven't switched to a reusable coffee cup, think of how many cups you throw away that go straight to landfill! make the small investment of purchasing a reusable coffee cup. you can often find super cute ones, and most coffee shops have no issue at all in filling one up instead (sometimes they even offer discounts for bringing your own cup).&nbsp;</span></span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><br /></span><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lANzJengDXk/WDzNngarcrI/AAAAAAAAD9A/hvvgn42LWjoCWQhmQW7JGjn0-fpYEN1QQCEw/s1600/tote.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><img border="0" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lANzJengDXk/WDzNngarcrI/AAAAAAAAD9A/hvvgn42LWjoCWQhmQW7JGjn0-fpYEN1QQCEw/s1600/tote.jpg" /></span></a><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">if your usual backpack/bag/purse is often filled with your everyday essentials, not leaving room for any potential purchases you make, shove a folded reusable tote bag into your usual bag. that way if you buy anything you'll always have a reusable bag on you and be able to decline collecting more unnecessary plastic bags.</span></span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><br /></span><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ApivLzQnqxs/WDzNm_cgmII/AAAAAAAAD8w/fScXJfjptwcNzJ8Vwp7quEj83pOPg4lsgCEw/s1600/recycle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ApivLzQnqxs/WDzNm_cgmII/AAAAAAAAD8w/fScXJfjptwcNzJ8Vwp7quEj83pOPg4lsgCEw/s1600/recycle.jpg" /></span></a><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">recycling is a more obvious and probably already pretty widely practiced action, but i know sometimes it can be far easier to become slack and just throw things in the rubbish rather than checking if they can be recycled. recycling is important because it helps to avoid pollution caused by landfill, therefore assisting in keeping the environment clean. recycling also conserves materials and saves energy.</span></span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><br /></span><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dIi6H9sN8pw/WDzNmw39faI/AAAAAAAAD80/ofkuGT1XLL4FwuBxq7XTUSuG2-Sn9XY9ACEw/s1600/produce.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><img border="0" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dIi6H9sN8pw/WDzNmw39faI/AAAAAAAAD80/ofkuGT1XLL4FwuBxq7XTUSuG2-Sn9XY9ACEw/s1600/produce.jpg" /></span></a><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">even if you bring your own shopping bags to the supermarket to pack all your groceries into, many times you still need little plastic bags to put fruits and vegetables in. to avoid those unnecessary plastic bags, that are usually easily teared and not reusable, reusable produce bags are incredibleee. they're usually made out of mesh or thin cloth, and you can often find packs of a few of them for a very little cost, either at health food shops or online.</span></span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><br /></span><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-alr6Btj7_g8/WDzNl4KRwcI/AAAAAAAAD8U/dVweRBEiTSY9dWUnS_W5vorh9fT0GMZvQCEw/s1600/buy%2Bin%2Bbulk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-alr6Btj7_g8/WDzNl4KRwcI/AAAAAAAAD8U/dVweRBEiTSY9dWUnS_W5vorh9fT0GMZvQCEw/s1600/buy%2Bin%2Bbulk.jpg" /></span></a><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">life hack - buy in bulk. not only is it usually much cheaper than buying pre-packaged products, but it also reduces the amount of plastic used often completely. saving money AND the planet, what more could you want?? head to one of your local health food stores, equipped with either reusable produce bags, recycled&nbsp;glass jars, containers, or use the paper bags provided, and go nuts stocking up on bulk foods. buying grains, beans, seeds, nuts, flours, sugar, etc in bulk is by far the way to go.</span></span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><br /></span><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BnjfxHfAaKY/WDzNmRXmfWI/AAAAAAAAD8o/rQAVDPOa3GoGLGiMd0NC9S01xGOo89EYgCEw/s1600/food.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><img border="0" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BnjfxHfAaKY/WDzNmRXmfWI/AAAAAAAAD8o/rQAVDPOa3GoGLGiMd0NC9S01xGOo89EYgCEw/s1600/food.jpg" /></span></a><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">like buying bulk,&nbsp;making your own food products rather than purchasing pre-packaged products is a cheaper and more environmentally-friendly option. in&nbsp;addition, its often a far healthier choice also. muesli bars, granola, energy/bliss balls, etc are great products to start with! you'll avoid the plastic from these usually individually wrapped products, avoid the extra cost, and avoid any nasty ingredients. making your own food and snacks also connects you more with your food and a lil bit of love is added with every recipe.</span></span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><br /></span><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZLUsdjd_s0U/WDzNmU3UffI/AAAAAAAAD8g/B835uEbvMVA-6ejZXbAQSzrv2Fh5XlKUQCEw/s1600/containers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><img border="0" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZLUsdjd_s0U/WDzNmU3UffI/AAAAAAAAD8g/B835uEbvMVA-6ejZXbAQSzrv2Fh5XlKUQCEw/s1600/containers.jpg" /></span></a><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">another food related choice to make is using reusable containers, rather than single-use, throwaway counterparts. aim to cut out plastic zip-lock bags and cling wrap by instead putting food in reusable containers. the same goes with reusable&nbsp;</span>utensils - bring utensils to&nbsp;eat food with you so you can avoid throwaway plastic ones.</span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><br /></span><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uEFhIP_uC_o/WDzNmYh5VOI/AAAAAAAAD8k/-tOMfhnHXIM3aVktZZ_CI18i9Ac4e_OdQCEw/s1600/compost.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><img border="0" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uEFhIP_uC_o/WDzNmYh5VOI/AAAAAAAAD8k/-tOMfhnHXIM3aVktZZ_CI18i9Ac4e_OdQCEw/s1600/compost.jpg" /></span></a><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">keeping food waste out of landfills is a critical component in the fight against climate change. when food sits in landfills and is not exposed to oxygen, it releases&nbsp;methane gas into the&nbsp;atmosphere. composting eliminates sending food waste and organic matter to landfills to rot, and instead repurposes them to&nbsp;assisting the environment. composting promotes healthy soil, which then removes excess carbon from the air. if you can, compost any food scraps you would usually throw away. composting&nbsp;can be done either directly into soil, or into composting bins.</span></span><br /><br /><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7yS-yuij1vo/WDzNlwo5udI/AAAAAAAAD8c/a2nDK3QdG8UF52jcAwe4Blzkl2GeVcTJwCEw/s1600/beeswax%2Bfood%2Bwraps.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><img border="0" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7yS-yuij1vo/WDzNlwo5udI/AAAAAAAAD8c/a2nDK3QdG8UF52jcAwe4Blzkl2GeVcTJwCEw/s1600/beeswax%2Bfood%2Bwraps.jpg" /></span></a><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">a reasonably new invention, reusable beeswax food wraps are alternatives for plastic wrapping&nbsp;such as cling wrap. the wraps are made out of fabric dipped in natural beeswax, and work just like plastic wrap, but are completely natural and reusable. using the warmth of your hands to soften the wrap, they can be moulded around food or bowls, then simply washed in cold water before using again and again. each wrap can be used for between 6 to 12 months, then can simply be composted. in&nbsp;addition to avoiding the use of plastic, beeswax wraps also&nbsp;assist in food staying fresher for longer, due to the antibacterial properties of beeswax. they can often be purchased at health food stores, charity/environmental stores, honey shops,&nbsp;</span>markets, or online. or alternatively, try making your own!</span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><br /></span><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pzMehhCmJw4/WDzNnQMm0RI/AAAAAAAAD88/8aeW3OlAMPsF0dep86jq5jciKrAUAprewCEw/s1600/toothbrush.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pzMehhCmJw4/WDzNnQMm0RI/AAAAAAAAD88/8aeW3OlAMPsF0dep86jq5jciKrAUAprewCEw/s1600/toothbrush.jpg" /></span></a><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">in australia, over 30 million&nbsp;toothbrushes are used and disposed of each year, amounting to 1000 tonnes of landfill each year. a very simple change you can make to reduce your plastic output is switching from a plastic toothbrush to a bamboo toothbrush. bamboo is an environmentally sustainable timber, with bamboo being the fastest growing plant on earth and incredibly abundant. bamboo regenerates itself naturally, with&nbsp;minimal rain and no need for harmful pesticides. bamboo toothbrushes can then be composted after use, due to their biodegradable nature. again, find these at your local health food store or online.</span></span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><br /></span><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MoNtv6XH4bg/WDzPukzXTcI/AAAAAAAAD9Q/tabzKKhd4joKgn50VdV9a5e1yb84jLQFwCLcB/s1600/menstruationn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MoNtv6XH4bg/WDzPukzXTcI/AAAAAAAAD9Q/tabzKKhd4joKgn50VdV9a5e1yb84jLQFwCLcB/s1600/menstruationn.jpg" /></span></a><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">if you are (unfortunately) a period-haver, think for a second about how&nbsp;much waste you throw out each month or year due to tampons and pads. its a fricking&nbsp;huge amount okay. there is a solution to this problem, and that solution is reusable menstruation products. sounds kinda scary and gross, but i've been promised it isn't either of those things at all. i'm personally yet to jump onto the reusable menstruation product bandwagon, but i'll get there hopefully very soon. the options i'm aware of so far are reusable 'period undies' or cloth pads, that can be washed and reused, or&nbsp;menstruation 'cups', such as the divacup. do a bit of research on these options and see if one will suit you</span></span></span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;"><span style="line-height: normal;">if you have any questions on any of these ideas, please comment them below and i'll get back to you very shortly! or, if you have any other waste minimising hacks, i'd love to hear them!!</span></span></span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;"><span style="line-height: normal;"><br /></span></span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">we are so often caught up in a throwaway culture of one-time use products, let's try to change that!</span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;"><span style="line-height: normal;"><br /></span></span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;">A xx</span></span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/arainatasmin/" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">instagram</a>&nbsp;//&nbsp;<a href="http://misste.tumblr.com/" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">tumblr</a>&nbsp;// email: araina.tasmin@hotmail.com</span></span>Araina Tasminhttps://plus.google.com/110751639591295983392noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8155972298852703610.post-59222517635833542662016-11-24T11:43:00.001+11:002016-11-24T11:43:58.897+11:00faceless portraits<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rbzrYP-hh0g/WDO43D5y6JI/AAAAAAAAD6g/ByMlM6dEUKwo7YeH6dwEjgy7GtbFBoC5ACEw/s1600/mum%2B1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rbzrYP-hh0g/WDO43D5y6JI/AAAAAAAAD6g/ByMlM6dEUKwo7YeH6dwEjgy7GtbFBoC5ACEw/s1600/mum%2B1.jpg" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yw8wKzMIKr8/WDO44PgucVI/AAAAAAAAD6k/z7A0YK-DyWUTySAvErfhMGWdVA-iAKxJwCEw/s1600/mum%2B2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yw8wKzMIKr8/WDO44PgucVI/AAAAAAAAD6k/z7A0YK-DyWUTySAvErfhMGWdVA-iAKxJwCEw/s1600/mum%2B2.jpg" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NFy4vKP68SQ/WDO4lUzt6mI/AAAAAAAAD6M/LssN9UqCxXIduVxpQFtb7IJLnKzLdAzZQCEw/s1600/Untitled-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NFy4vKP68SQ/WDO4lUzt6mI/AAAAAAAAD6M/LssN9UqCxXIduVxpQFtb7IJLnKzLdAzZQCEw/s1600/Untitled-1.jpg" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4hhm_kaEHFE/WDO5EmR7B9I/AAAAAAAAD60/tl2bVDNAKaUnZFBKnITECI1gQ6f21kBfACEw/s1600/rorin%2B4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4hhm_kaEHFE/WDO5EmR7B9I/AAAAAAAAD60/tl2bVDNAKaUnZFBKnITECI1gQ6f21kBfACEw/s1600/rorin%2B4.jpg" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TrtFRPifoCw/WDO4wAtoaTI/AAAAAAAAD6Y/mzaxewGbWvAsByxAjpJ1H_hUxceyehyMQCEw/s1600/lara.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TrtFRPifoCw/WDO4wAtoaTI/AAAAAAAAD6Y/mzaxewGbWvAsByxAjpJ1H_hUxceyehyMQCEw/s1600/lara.jpg" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ogVpsnm1zC4/WDO4XVoSwaI/AAAAAAAAD6o/h0t3K_4kWvUyetwyxjwEkhqYSrtrascYACEw/s1600/diptych%2Bme%2B5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ogVpsnm1zC4/WDO4XVoSwaI/AAAAAAAAD6o/h0t3K_4kWvUyetwyxjwEkhqYSrtrascYACEw/s1600/diptych%2Bme%2B5.jpg" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-48_8nri2rKw/WDO4qjOhFBI/AAAAAAAAD6Q/Cnty-ZgPAD88CcsP3SFv03qLxjTipSNIgCEw/s1600/diptych.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-48_8nri2rKw/WDO4qjOhFBI/AAAAAAAAD6Q/Cnty-ZgPAD88CcsP3SFv03qLxjTipSNIgCEw/s1600/diptych.jpg" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ixGyKjkGgw0/WDO404IDk4I/AAAAAAAAD6c/SFe3TV5w62U-Gyg4EAlXRu-lBBo9ydyMQCEw/s1600/grace%2Band%2Belliot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ixGyKjkGgw0/WDO404IDk4I/AAAAAAAAD6c/SFe3TV5w62U-Gyg4EAlXRu-lBBo9ydyMQCEw/s1600/grace%2Band%2Belliot.jpg" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PXQJRRixQ7s/WDO5BAQfQMI/AAAAAAAAD6s/dqdXvo37bIYMD6RUvwJHYZtIKNO2nMGywCEw/s1600/rorinnn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PXQJRRixQ7s/WDO5BAQfQMI/AAAAAAAAD6s/dqdXvo37bIYMD6RUvwJHYZtIKNO2nMGywCEw/s1600/rorinnn.jpg" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8FwV6PLntwU/WDO4cXMVeCI/AAAAAAAAD6o/LOdwAR4_e-AbQ7r-ejblkuoLnC_eksFYACEw/s1600/jaxon%2B4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8FwV6PLntwU/WDO4cXMVeCI/AAAAAAAAD6o/LOdwAR4_e-AbQ7r-ejblkuoLnC_eksFYACEw/s1600/jaxon%2B4.jpg" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-If9wvE4U6fM/WDO5B4Ja1mI/AAAAAAAAD6w/sfOP--M6ugwj4AMmY4fm-LlvSrpdftuzwCEw/s1600/rorin%2B3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-If9wvE4U6fM/WDO5B4Ja1mI/AAAAAAAAD6w/sfOP--M6ugwj4AMmY4fm-LlvSrpdftuzwCEw/s1600/rorin%2B3.jpg" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fcVh_vTrRvo/WDO4srVBX2I/AAAAAAAAD6U/qCZxdSr7awsvH30QlPlkgtNA_sUE2UFtACEw/s1600/grace%2B2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fcVh_vTrRvo/WDO4srVBX2I/AAAAAAAAD6U/qCZxdSr7awsvH30QlPlkgtNA_sUE2UFtACEw/s1600/grace%2B2.jpg" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vV4NkS-gzKk/WDO4i4H477I/AAAAAAAAD6E/mInKRvWYVRIc7Qwjg-urceNV69-73S6HQCEw/s1600/shan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vV4NkS-gzKk/WDO4i4H477I/AAAAAAAAD6E/mInKRvWYVRIc7Qwjg-urceNV69-73S6HQCEw/s1600/shan.jpg" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">these are some of the photographs i took and exhibited for my art class this year. my concept was based around faceless portraits and asking the&nbsp;question, "<i>h</i><i style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-AU">ow do we come to know or connect with a person without seeing their face?".</span></i></span><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-AU"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">from the moment i picked up a camera i have been unexplainably drawn to photographing people. through my work in art this year i wanted to create a twist on traditional portraiture, essentially creating “anti-portraits”. my work explored the concept of identity and representation of people through the use of portraiture, whilst concealing all of the subjects’ faces.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span lang="EN-AU">our eyes are naturally drawn to the face of a person first, and as it is often where we view emotions and hear stories, it is where we discover most about a person. by concealing the face, room for personal connection and interpretation surrounding the subject is created.&nbsp;</span><span style="line-height: 150%;">my work aimed to challenge viewers to question traditional portraiture by looking beyond the subject’s face.</span></span></div><br /><div style="line-height: 18px; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">A&nbsp;<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 19px;">♥</span></span></div></div><div style="line-height: 18px; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div></div><div style="line-height: 18px; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/arainatasmin/" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">instagram</a>&nbsp;//&nbsp;<a href="http://misste.tumblr.com/" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">tumblr&nbsp;</a>// email: araina.tasmin@hotmail.com</span></div></div>Araina Tasminhttps://plus.google.com/110751639591295983392noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8155972298852703610.post-6423068492124933482016-11-22T14:10:00.002+11:002016-11-22T14:10:28.970+11:00golden turmeric latteas mentioned in my previous post, i stopped drinking coffee months ago, with my latest replacement being turmeric milk/lattes. being my regular order at my favourite cafe, i decided it was time i attempted to make a version myself. i threw in a dash of this n that and the result was surprisingly successful.<br /><br />turmeric is a spice used commonly in ayurvedic medicine - an ancient indian practice. benefits of this spice include weight loss, digestion, boosting immune system, natural painkiller and anti-inflamitory, liver health, fighting depression, preventing cancer and alzheimer's, and better sleep. with all that being said, you might as well read on for my own recipe for a <i>golden turmeric latte</i>. come on, it sounds magical, i know you're itching to try it.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hkEnGBzjhu0/WDEyPRwSQcI/AAAAAAAAD5U/uSNBaUIC7vIjDimT6lmQKA_h3w3_0rIIwCLcB/s1600/DSC_6115.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hkEnGBzjhu0/WDEyPRwSQcI/AAAAAAAAD5U/uSNBaUIC7vIjDimT6lmQKA_h3w3_0rIIwCLcB/s1600/DSC_6115.jpg" /></a><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fMvX2WaZs4A/WDJRHSMOdLI/AAAAAAAAD5s/Lq3t6Ug4o78kG0M1gVVMVc5SpbGMRL9UQCLcB/s1600/turmeric%2Bmilk%2Brecipe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fMvX2WaZs4A/WDJRHSMOdLI/AAAAAAAAD5s/Lq3t6Ug4o78kG0M1gVVMVc5SpbGMRL9UQCLcB/s1600/turmeric%2Bmilk%2Brecipe.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">A&nbsp;<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 19px;">♥</span></div></div><div style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div></div><div style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/arainatasmin/" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">instagram</a>&nbsp;//&nbsp;<a href="http://misste.tumblr.com/" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">tumblr&nbsp;</a>// email: araina.tasmin@hotmail.com</div></div>Araina Tasminhttps://plus.google.com/110751639591295983392noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8155972298852703610.post-40329933959941346852016-11-13T20:42:00.001+11:002016-11-13T20:42:10.720+11:00life at eighteen<div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">a snapshot of my life at eighteen.</div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">right now there is an apple pie baking in the oven, filling the house with its cinnamon sweetness, and i'm listening to bon iver's new album on a vinyl that my friend bought me. sunshine is streaming in through the blinds and there is a vase of freshly picked flowers; calla lilies and irises from our yard, on the table.&nbsp;</div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">i had my last day of year 12 a few days ago, and after one final exam later this week, it'll be sweet sweet freedom and total control of what i want to do and where i want to go in life. thats both a terrifying and exhilarating thought. a gap year is definitely on the cards for next year - i could never go straight into more full-on studying, neither do i know exactly what i would do. the options are unlimited, and i suppose the cliche "the sky is the limit" rings true. recently i've been looking into a six month creative course that would give me a bit of structure in my upcoming year, so we'll see how that continues to progress.</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qvhWttTN618/V_YFVWcYshI/AAAAAAAAD0E/bbDlLOf5GAI3OyQMu1tE3P0wrVmno_CBgCEw/s1600/1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qvhWttTN618/V_YFVWcYshI/AAAAAAAAD0E/bbDlLOf5GAI3OyQMu1tE3P0wrVmno_CBgCEw/s1600/1.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">the past year has been a huugee learning experience for me in terms of my mental health. getting in touch with the way my brain works and reacts to situations is an ongoing process i work at. the most crucial element in this journey was definitely the decision to talk to my doctor about brain stuff and subsequently, go see a therapist for a while about a year ago. i'd been to a psychologist before but never really made any progress. from as young as i can remember i've been labelled as a 'worry-wart' and it was only once i tried again to talk to a professional that i realised a lot of what i had always experienced was textbook anxiety. having something to explain what had been going on in my head my whole life made learning how to deal with it possible. i couldn't recommend getting professional help enough if you suspect something's going on in your noggin. being able to identify thought patterns or behaviours as being a result of a mental illness can be extremely helpful and reassuring that you're not just fully nuts, ya know.</div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><br />i alternate between doing quite a bit of yoga and forgetting for days and days, but its something i've always found really benefits me physically and mentally. i ought to meditate more often too. both of those things can seem difficult to make time for, but it's true that the busier you are, the more needing your body and brain is of making time to breathe and give your body some lovin.<br /><br />i go through a lot of phases with cooking and eating. right now i eat a lot of oranges and white chocolate macadamia clif bars, attempt to cook vegan donuts quite frequently (which somehow always end up resembling scones), and bake a lot of pies (in the past few weeks i've baked apple pies, pumpkin pies and vegan shepherds pies numerous times). i probably need to eat more vegetables and greens. i'm also always drinking tea. for a while my favourite has been an over-priced and over-packaged 'golden caramel rooibos". add a dash of soy milk and a spoon of honey, mmmm. i stopped drinking coffee months and months ago, and my go-to drink when i'm out running errands or meeting friends is a turmeric milk latte. my favourite cafe makes one with turmeric, other ayurvedic spices, almond/coconut milk &amp; honey and i've fallen in love with it. also, kombucha. that shits goood.</div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fPzvR-x149U/WCfk8T_hBGI/AAAAAAAAD4w/XHrj7QpMyE4iweCbk2uaLZh4XAdzuzEYgCLcB/s1600/Untitled-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fPzvR-x149U/WCfk8T_hBGI/AAAAAAAAD4w/XHrj7QpMyE4iweCbk2uaLZh4XAdzuzEYgCLcB/s1600/Untitled-2.jpg" /></a></div>i've been dating my bestfriend for over 6 months now and those months have honestly been filled with the most love and happiness i've ever felt. we're both learning and growing and looking forward to a future full of love and plants. we bought a van together a few weeks ago, which has been a dream of mine for as long as i can remember. after we finish our exams it'll be straight onto working on doing it up. we have all the mechanical side of things already fixed up, next will come the fun part of turning the inside of it into a hopefully beautiful and liveable area. we're planning on adventuring around our island home state of Tasmania first, then eventually heading up the east coast of Australia. you'll no doubt be hearing and seeing updates in the near future! i can finally get my full driving license, so in the next few weeks hopefully i'll be able to drive us around too.</div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><br />months ago i made the conscious decision to stop wearing any makeup. while i have nothing against people choosing to wear makeup, i didn't personally like the affect it had grown to have on me. i have never worn much makeup in my life, and at this point of deciding to stop completely, i was wearing eyebrow pencil, mascara, eyeliner and highlighter at the very most. but even a daily few coats of mascara and eyebrow fill-in was a routine i didn't feel comfortable without, and once i realised that, it wasn't something i was happy about. deciding to stop wearing any makeup for me meant getting in touch and comfortable with my completely natural face and features, and learning and attempting to feel okay with myself as is. on a lesser level of importance, the decision was also a little bit to do with the fact that i wore makeup as an attempt to be "prettier", as some of makeup-wearers do, and i eventually asked myself "who am i trying to impress? who do i try to look pretty for?". i realised that i owe "looking pretty" to absolutely no one.</div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-khmQ1UrvBLE/WCfk8s8vubI/AAAAAAAAD40/fy8fCkyANv4qIxgk2bkj-eghee4ireyYgCLcB/s1600/Untitled-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-khmQ1UrvBLE/WCfk8s8vubI/AAAAAAAAD40/fy8fCkyANv4qIxgk2bkj-eghee4ireyYgCLcB/s1600/Untitled-3.jpg" /></a></div>after years of a headache-inducing pink room, my (incredibly handyman) father built an extension to our house, and thus, i can finally live out the white-walled, plant-filled aesthetic room life. as shallow as it is, i'm kind of in love with my room. its filled with natural light and is a space i find both comforting and inspiring, which is a very pleasant change. its so inspiring i'm likely to take photos of it for a 'room tour' kinda post in the near future.<br /><br />i'm sure its partially due to finishing school and turning eighteen, but i've been noticing a growing sense of independence and desire to continue with that growth. i'm starting to work more and (attempt to) save money, heck, i washed my own sheets last week. as scary as 'adult things' can be, i'm really enjoying doing some of them and having an increasing level of self-sufficiency. sure, i still prefer if my mum calls to book appointments for me, but sometimes now i can go to them by myself, and <i>sometimes</i>, i'll even call. at dinner the other night i ordered a glass of wine, so i think i'm pretty much considered a real adult.</div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><br />basically the only music i've been listening to these days is bon iver's new album; <i>22, A Million</i>. incredibly different to his usual, soothing, melodic sounds, i praise this album as a musical work of art.</div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">i've been going through my crystal phase for a while. beside my bed sits a rose quartz, amethyst, aquamarine, clear quartz and desert rose. i also wear a rose quartz bracelet daily. whether its all "hippy bullshit" or not, i find it incredibly fascinating researching how different crystals can affect us and the power they, may or may not, have. i'm currently searching for a blue lace agate and moonstone to add to my little collection.</div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Gksw7fOXq_A/WCfk8pQmlGI/AAAAAAAAD44/zx53v_kG5vwsZ31anPR_4uMfmb_-JVlewCLcB/s1600/Untitled-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Gksw7fOXq_A/WCfk8pQmlGI/AAAAAAAAD44/zx53v_kG5vwsZ31anPR_4uMfmb_-JVlewCLcB/s1600/Untitled-1.jpg" /></a></div>in addition to crystals, i'm in <i>the </i>biggest plant phase. i dream of my bedroom and future house being a jungle filled with beautiful plants. to date my collection includes a china doll, hosta, maidenhair fern, orchid, chinese money plant, and a peace lily that my lovely boy bought me for our 6 month anniversary. these plants have become my children and if (fingers crossed i won't) i ever kill one, it will be a very sad day. honestly right now nothing excites me more than the thought of buying more plants and nurturing my little indoors jungle family.</div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">within the past year i've increasingly noticed my ever-developing 'homebody' traits. i've always been predominately introverted, but more and more the temptation to decline party invites and the like has been occurring. call me boring, as some of my friends do, but the idea of a night out is now often heavily overshadowed by the desire for a comfy, early night tucked in my doona. i discussed this with one of my close friends who shares the same homebody desires (and hence, social hang-outs with her often prove difficult to organise), and she mentioned the shame she often feels for this. the pressure for teenage life to filled with parties and late nights and constant socialisation can often be felt, with cozy friday nights seen as not living up to these teenage expectations. i say screw those expectations, i'd take a night of tea and writing and candles and my damn comfy bed over a party <i>most</i> of the time.<br /><br /><br />this is parts of me at eighteen.<br />i'm curious to see what life at nineteen may look like next year.<br /><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: &quot;arial&quot; , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 19px;">♥</span></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">A xx</div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/arainatasmin/">instagram</a> // <a href="http://misste.tumblr.com/">tumblr </a>// email: araina.tasmin@hotmail.com</div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">p.s. the initial idea of this post was inspired by emma mercury's <a href="https://themessyheads.com/2016/10/04/a-snapshot-of-my-life/">post</a></div></div>Araina Tasminhttps://plus.google.com/110751639591295983392noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8155972298852703610.post-64922702957418700342016-11-05T11:38:00.001+11:002016-11-05T11:38:10.431+11:00elle<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wCoPx3-Nhyw/WBw8N-bppjI/AAAAAAAAD2k/JL1hol8JubAPO9sabeUbQyjIeAS-Ic3AwCLcB/s1600/IMG_2887.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wCoPx3-Nhyw/WBw8N-bppjI/AAAAAAAAD2k/JL1hol8JubAPO9sabeUbQyjIeAS-Ic3AwCLcB/s1600/IMG_2887.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MrK4LPmklkU/WBwFtkMnVPI/AAAAAAAAD2U/GilIaCzRsnoonp6xVgd4THGek3MGxM69gCEw/s1600/Untitled-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MrK4LPmklkU/WBwFtkMnVPI/AAAAAAAAD2U/GilIaCzRsnoonp6xVgd4THGek3MGxM69gCEw/s1600/Untitled-1.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MrSRrOTR2Dw/WBwFn2oIBvI/AAAAAAAAD2U/UtwXYJYbZ0gIfhiV0MY3iOyBZk45ctn9QCEw/s1600/IMG_1915.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; 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text-align: left;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iefAi9-71MY/WBwGIazMV-I/AAAAAAAAD2Q/o802kkTZe4IG19osjS2M5kXc3SVbvkDmACEw/s1600/Untitled-5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iefAi9-71MY/WBwGIazMV-I/AAAAAAAAD2Q/o802kkTZe4IG19osjS2M5kXc3SVbvkDmACEw/s1600/Untitled-5.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0cghnaNIcp4/WBwFYoDErGI/AAAAAAAAD2U/9a-Cq_H3PuYYEi2MEFy6RoCMMhGRD9A9ACEw/s1600/DSC_4712.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0cghnaNIcp4/WBwFYoDErGI/AAAAAAAAD2U/9a-Cq_H3PuYYEi2MEFy6RoCMMhGRD9A9ACEw/s1600/DSC_4712.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HE5pVIyKQbg/WBwF71ptUPI/AAAAAAAAD2E/cUNMasTpmnMwzOJOLy3bPBa7i4sFMwy8ACEw/s1600/Untitled-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HE5pVIyKQbg/WBwF71ptUPI/AAAAAAAAD2E/cUNMasTpmnMwzOJOLy3bPBa7i4sFMwy8ACEw/s1600/Untitled-2.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-edqy1k7_PZQ/WBwF8UXFMKI/AAAAAAAAD2I/6n5dpbDZGTUWi6M2Gs7qoeS0PWt_M5k_QCEw/s1600/Untitled-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-edqy1k7_PZQ/WBwF8UXFMKI/AAAAAAAAD2I/6n5dpbDZGTUWi6M2Gs7qoeS0PWt_M5k_QCEw/s1600/Untitled-3.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-v7ALfznpKSA/WBwFY0peGNI/AAAAAAAAD2U/l7dcFwn-DHkh_phvOkmPbTxoKAGrOXtTgCEw/s1600/DSC_4802.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-v7ALfznpKSA/WBwFY0peGNI/AAAAAAAAD2U/l7dcFwn-DHkh_phvOkmPbTxoKAGrOXtTgCEw/s1600/DSC_4802.jpg" /></a></div><br />some photos i snapped of a gorgeous face and fellow-creative a while ago. lara is one of my favourite photographers and honestly just a bundle of sunshine. check out her <a href="https://hellocooperandco.wordpress.com/">blog</a> and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/elle_cooper_/">instagram</a>&nbsp;to witness some of her magic! this shoot was the first time i had picked up my camera in weeks, and lara's angelic, soft features made her a total dream to shoot.<br /><br />next week is my last ever week of school and honestly i'm both terrified and excited. it will be the end of a very big chapter of my life and a lotta change is on the way! updates ahead.<br /><br />A xx<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: georgia, utopia, 'palatino linotype', palatino, serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: center;"></div><div style="font-family: georgia, utopia, 'palatino linotype', palatino, serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/arainatasmin/" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">instagram</a>&nbsp;//&nbsp;<a href="http://misste.tumblr.com/" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">tumblr</a>&nbsp;// email: araina.tasmin@hotmail.com</div><br />Araina Tasminhttps://plus.google.com/110751639591295983392noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8155972298852703610.post-52652089143759673262016-07-16T17:31:00.002+10:002016-07-16T17:31:35.058+10:00mountain views out one window and the coast out the other (new zealand photo diary)<div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-htAVCS9oSIA/V4jJtiDXHlI/AAAAAAAADw8/rrW6DQjjn5cHGELzeekbPtpZa_YiJngOQCLcB/s1600/DSC_1761%2Bcopy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; 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text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BPlxJAeH5mE/V4jInjrFqsI/AAAAAAAADwQ/Pr1TAm2PSmkEgdpkICBTyJq5Qu0VQ4QcACLcB/s1600/DSC_2992.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BPlxJAeH5mE/V4jInjrFqsI/AAAAAAAADwQ/Pr1TAm2PSmkEgdpkICBTyJq5Qu0VQ4QcACLcB/s1600/DSC_2992.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LzErvy_kreg/V4jInGvjLgI/AAAAAAAADwM/RhTYfeATL3APLodXLPiPtDuJl290jQ33ACLcB/s1600/DSC_2990.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LzErvy_kreg/V4jInGvjLgI/AAAAAAAADwM/RhTYfeATL3APLodXLPiPtDuJl290jQ33ACLcB/s1600/DSC_2990.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-aPUBoBhYEgI/V4jIqdf0w8I/AAAAAAAADwU/we0pcc1-FiAxyYgPV_3fSgIMGHUnzi98wCLcB/s1600/DSC_2984.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-aPUBoBhYEgI/V4jIqdf0w8I/AAAAAAAADwU/we0pcc1-FiAxyYgPV_3fSgIMGHUnzi98wCLcB/s1600/DSC_2984.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">look who's back my pals! as with every return i make here, there's no sayin how long i'll be stayin. i like to think that this blog of mine is a bit like a place i can visit when i feel the need/desire, as opposed to a permanent place of residency. this specific return/visit has been prompted by an overwhelming surge of creative energy over the past few days. call it end-of-school-holiday-restlessness maybe, but i'm feeling the need to do something potentially remotely cool.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">this is a very delayed post, but a few months ago the fam and i headed across the ocean to the (mind my french) fucking insane country of new zealand. we spent the first week driving 1850km across the south island in a big ugly campervan which was a complete and utter dream. the scenery the entire time was mindblowingly beautiful. my occupation for the week was designated passenger seat photographer and shitty navigator and i quickly fell head over heels in love with being on the road. when we weren't driving, our time was spent waking up to pink sunrises over the mountains, taking 'baths' in lakes in the crisp morning air with the hazy glow of the sun peaking over the mountains, drinking from sweet streams of glacier water and a whole lotta card games. we then spent a further week exploring the north island (by car), which, though still beautiful, couldn't compete with our time spent in our campervan on the south island.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">man oh man do i miss the simplified state of existence of being on the road. a dream but hopefully realistic plan for my gap year next year entails doing up a van and driving around australia for a while with my boy. fingers crossed hey.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">ANYWAY,</div><div style="text-align: center;">more posts on their way very shortly!&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">all my lovin, A xxx</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/arainatasmin/">instagram</a> // <a href="http://misste.tumblr.com/">tumblr</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">&nbsp;email: araina.tasmin@hotmail.com</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Araina Tasminhttps://plus.google.com/110751639591295983392noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8155972298852703610.post-46478043419054002292016-04-10T10:25:00.001+10:002016-04-10T10:25:08.822+10:00a festival called panama<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cYv5VmF5gxk/VvYvrseRQLI/AAAAAAAADqQ/6KTASi0mdB8hYxXfWUnNk7g_hDyAfHHRA/s1600/DSC_1002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cYv5VmF5gxk/VvYvrseRQLI/AAAAAAAADqQ/6KTASi0mdB8hYxXfWUnNk7g_hDyAfHHRA/s1600/DSC_1002.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fbPRdCiYIYk/VvYtz96KkcI/AAAAAAAADpA/nIlanDgjhF4X0ep4ornxn8xZqT0z8G6Vw/s1600/DSC_0836.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fbPRdCiYIYk/VvYtz96KkcI/AAAAAAAADpA/nIlanDgjhF4X0ep4ornxn8xZqT0z8G6Vw/s1600/DSC_0836.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-15XvfGmU2I4/VvYuBHaX2KI/AAAAAAAADok/RvWadCPmZNoxwI_9W8NV543yhmeqpITDA/s1600/DSC_0842.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-15XvfGmU2I4/VvYuBHaX2KI/AAAAAAAADok/RvWadCPmZNoxwI_9W8NV543yhmeqpITDA/s1600/DSC_0842.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/--iuNqtnHNlA/VvYtrEboKVI/AAAAAAAADpA/vOV-6QfU7NYPNfJEgOoDXPW5Lc0qf0jog/s1600/DSC_0815.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/--iuNqtnHNlA/VvYtrEboKVI/AAAAAAAADpA/vOV-6QfU7NYPNfJEgOoDXPW5Lc0qf0jog/s1600/DSC_0815.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aejvt-XaId0/VvYt1aTVnTI/AAAAAAAADpA/UDbhzMWgZ-Un8qFbly6XYDMexW_Y5QcJQ/s1600/DSC_0832.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aejvt-XaId0/VvYt1aTVnTI/AAAAAAAADpA/UDbhzMWgZ-Un8qFbly6XYDMexW_Y5QcJQ/s1600/DSC_0832.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Lpy5GLbqRQc/VvYuA9mlDSI/AAAAAAAADog/CLdZTZE54bcSAUMWYpBJaJU4gqVxC54Gw/s1600/DSC_0865.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Lpy5GLbqRQc/VvYuA9mlDSI/AAAAAAAADog/CLdZTZE54bcSAUMWYpBJaJU4gqVxC54Gw/s1600/DSC_0865.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UfVbjk4JCwM/VvYuCQUWXYI/AAAAAAAADoo/EGBrJf775I8gOrg_Udz6uW0Ahz9oIeH6g/s1600/DSC_0869.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UfVbjk4JCwM/VvYuCQUWXYI/AAAAAAAADoo/EGBrJf775I8gOrg_Udz6uW0Ahz9oIeH6g/s1600/DSC_0869.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bDiRLJZO-48/VvYubOsyVsI/AAAAAAAADpQ/a8A2Kijukfc6mB4UAzuMo-YD_4FJLH4XA/s1600/DSC_0929.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bDiRLJZO-48/VvYubOsyVsI/AAAAAAAADpQ/a8A2Kijukfc6mB4UAzuMo-YD_4FJLH4XA/s1600/DSC_0929.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><br />just some snaps i took at a music festival called Panama a few weeks ago. was the most beautiful of times. something magic about that weekend that i still can't put my finger on.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">i head to New Zealand with my fam tomorrow for a few weeks. fuckin stoked. expect super cool pics from there to come.<br /><br />much love, A xx</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WMkhS9c03Lw/Vvc_wZ0fnBI/AAAAAAAADqs/tyC1O2QmTjoZrzZ_zcvZA-u56geoeHjoA/s1600/instagram.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WMkhS9c03Lw/Vvc_wZ0fnBI/AAAAAAAADqs/tyC1O2QmTjoZrzZ_zcvZA-u56geoeHjoA/s1600/instagram.png" /></a></div>Araina Tasminhttps://plus.google.com/110751639591295983392noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8155972298852703610.post-72728951730577581432016-03-27T15:21:00.002+11:002016-03-27T15:21:21.485+11:00windows and wrinkled white shirts<div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dENYcV11fLo/Vs1fTi7EmjI/AAAAAAAADio/OEV7FepHUao/s1600/DSC_0377.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dENYcV11fLo/Vs1fTi7EmjI/AAAAAAAADio/OEV7FepHUao/s1600/DSC_0377.jpg" /></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8pWWKsU0rDc/Vs1ddXsFy7I/AAAAAAAADiI/cIGONBjqI88/s1600/DSC_0358.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8pWWKsU0rDc/Vs1ddXsFy7I/AAAAAAAADiI/cIGONBjqI88/s1600/DSC_0358.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-W12B0hsIEwI/Vvda5E9RGAI/AAAAAAAADrI/pITDROwG7NUIoz9ik_gSF6qXE9BXQKh5A/s1600/Untitled-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-W12B0hsIEwI/Vvda5E9RGAI/AAAAAAAADrI/pITDROwG7NUIoz9ik_gSF6qXE9BXQKh5A/s1600/Untitled-1.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Z4YRlp19D_U/Vs1d0PN0BYI/AAAAAAAADiQ/ueZKegILPbw/s1600/Untitled-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Z4YRlp19D_U/Vs1d0PN0BYI/AAAAAAAADiQ/ueZKegILPbw/s1600/Untitled-2.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">ahhh i was on such a roll with posting and then i lost it. (re-found it i promise, heaps of posts on the way.) school has been taking everything out of me, yet somehow that's not in a completely bad way. busy can often be good and the feeling of productivity and actually accomplishing things and doing well is fuckin sweet.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">this post has been in my drafts for a very long time.. just a few old (begrudgingly agreed to, as evident through some facial expressions) snaps i took of mr j. i bought a new camera a few weeks ago (nikon d7100 a.k.a. the love of my life) and have really gotten into the habit of taking it most places i go. god damn there's not much i love more than being behind a camera.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">hope you're all doin swell, talk to you real real soon.</div><div style="text-align: center;">A, xx<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WMkhS9c03Lw/Vvc_wZ0fnBI/AAAAAAAADqs/tyC1O2QmTjoZrzZ_zcvZA-u56geoeHjoA/s1600/instagram.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WMkhS9c03Lw/Vvc_wZ0fnBI/AAAAAAAADqs/tyC1O2QmTjoZrzZ_zcvZA-u56geoeHjoA/s1600/instagram.png" /></a></div></div>Araina Tasminhttps://plus.google.com/110751639591295983392noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8155972298852703610.post-35931690336042859272016-02-19T21:11:00.003+11:002016-02-19T21:11:57.897+11:00a playlist for..<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">a playlist for creating and driving and living and crying</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-h2m-A92HMY4/VsbX1soZb3I/AAAAAAAADhg/-j31DVT7n9w/s1600/playlist.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-h2m-A92HMY4/VsbX1soZb3I/AAAAAAAADhg/-j31DVT7n9w/s1600/playlist.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">i was doing some scribbling/journaling this afternoon and these were the tunes i gravitated to. the kind of music that makes you feel wrapped up in this inspired and emotion-rich warm fuzzy cloud of notes and lyrics.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">{ <u><a href="https://open.spotify.com/user/arainatasmin/playlist/2KLN1IXzqJ9gKov5JDzTpf">made you guys a little link to the playlist and everything</a></u> }</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">currently, my room is as messy as my head (very) and i've gotten back into the habit of drinking too much coffee, but, i'm inspired and creating.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">talk soon,</div><div style="text-align: center;">A xxx</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cocUXkaG7II/Vsbm5vqDD1I/AAAAAAAADhw/QKy0GvH3ZYg/s1600/instagram.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="37" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cocUXkaG7II/Vsbm5vqDD1I/AAAAAAAADhw/QKy0GvH3ZYg/s200/instagram.png" width="200" /></a></div>Araina Tasminhttps://plus.google.com/110751639591295983392noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8155972298852703610.post-16647453157276779532016-02-15T09:58:00.001+11:002016-02-15T09:58:37.979+11:00twilight driving<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2cua5BWeZ10/VrV09MYkHRI/AAAAAAAADgc/1u_71tKATbA/s1600/1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2cua5BWeZ10/VrV09MYkHRI/AAAAAAAADgc/1u_71tKATbA/s1600/1.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-E-tt7p8I1A0/VrV1IdHV57I/AAAAAAAADgo/IgQTkHjN6_0/s1600/DSC_0358.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-E-tt7p8I1A0/VrV1IdHV57I/AAAAAAAADgo/IgQTkHjN6_0/s1600/DSC_0358.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cRZm5LtGeos/VrV09YGN8FI/AAAAAAAADgg/xqAl8HvjJjk/s1600/2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cRZm5LtGeos/VrV09YGN8FI/AAAAAAAADgg/xqAl8HvjJjk/s1600/2.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hZeOUXMaCSM/VrV1HMS3siI/AAAAAAAADgk/xWaJStfs9IY/s1600/4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hZeOUXMaCSM/VrV1HMS3siI/AAAAAAAADgk/xWaJStfs9IY/s1600/4.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tSnrpeX43pI/VrV082WQmNI/AAAAAAAADgY/0fCRdcNWZ8E/s1600/3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tSnrpeX43pI/VrV082WQmNI/AAAAAAAADgY/0fCRdcNWZ8E/s1600/3.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><a href="http://www.boohoo.com/aus/page/home">Boohoo</a></i> shirt, <i>All About Eve </i>skirt, <i>Cotton On </i>bralette</span><br /><br />how cool is this shirt? button-up&nbsp;+ collar + bell-sleeves&nbsp;AND a cool back design?? you guys know those are some of my favourite things. found it via <a href="http://fashionlane.com.au/">Fashion Lane</a>, which is officially The Best Thing Ever. basically its a website designed to find the best deals on over 120 online fashion stores. it gathers heaps of HELLA bargains from stores such as ASOS, the iconic, surfstitch, etc etc etc. you can search via brand or item of clothing, and it'll magically find the biggest sales and discounts. i've already found so many wicked things, so, from my bank account to yours, this is my warning.<br /><br /><br />what's new? third week of school and i'm already on the verge of stress-crying. other than actually using my study lines to study now (gasp!), the past week has also involved listening to rihanna's new album on repeat and watching halsey interviews (ok let's be real, when am i ever not doing that??). hope you've all had a good week lovelies,<br />A xxx<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-d7q4HHlinVY/Vr5logigueI/AAAAAAAADhM/i7-RWMX89YM/s1600/instagram.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="37" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-d7q4HHlinVY/Vr5logigueI/AAAAAAAADhM/i7-RWMX89YM/s200/instagram.png" width="200" /></a></div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;utopia&quot; , &quot;palatino linotype&quot; , &quot;palatino&quot; , serif; line-height: 14px;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">p.s. this post was sponsored by Fashion Lane. all opinions are and will always be my own &amp; 110% honest.</span></span></div>Araina Tasminhttps://plus.google.com/110751639591295983392noreply@blogger.com1